As the saying goes, Time flies over us but leaves its shadow behind. It seems as if it were just yesterday when the entire United Kingdom was mourning the loss of its longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. However, surprisingly, the world did move on and now we are here, marking what would have been the Queen’s 97th birth anniversary. Putting the coronation hype aside, Buckingham Palace with all the members of the House of Windsor has spent the day recalling their beloved Queen. Honoring the same, here are some never before pictures of the Queen at 96 with some younger royals of the family. 

During the course of her trip to her favorite royal estate, Balmoral last summer, the former monarch posed with a bunch of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren before the camera. Behind the lenses was no normal royal photographer but the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, herself doing the honors. The picture portrays the Queen smiling with the brood of Windsors. 

Who accompanied the Queen in the picture? 

Sitting on the green couch, the former monarch was surrounded by ten of the younger royals of future generations, out of which one is also the heir to the throne. 9-year-old George, the Prince of Wales along with her sister, Princess Charlotte 7, stood with all smiles behind their great-grandmother. Their youngest sibling, Prince Louis, 4, also accompanied them along with their distant cousins in the family. 

Also in the picture were Princess Royal Anne’s grandchildren. They were Zara and Mike Tindall’s three children, Mia, 7, Lena, 4, and Lucas 2, all counted as members of the royal family. Accompanying them were the children of Peter Philips, the son of Princess Royal. Seated next to the Queen were Savannah, 12, and Isla 11 in all smiles with their great grandma. 

Lastly, standing at the back were the only two grandchildren of the Queen herself. Prince James, 15, and Lady Louise Windsor, 19, the children of Prince Edward and Princess Sophie stood behind their younger cousins posing with the Queen. 

Who all were missing? 

The picture marked the glaring absence of the two other estranged great-grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth. They were the California-based children of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle,  Prince Archie, 3, and Princess Lilibet of Sussex, the youngest of the family. 

Nonetheless, in another family portrait with King Charles and Queen Consort, the Palace did the honors of including the Sussexes. It included the Duke and the Duchess alongside the four core members of the family.

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How did you like the picture of the next-gen royals? Let us know in the comments below.