Princess Charlotte, the 11-month-old daughter of Their Royal
Highnesses the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge, was featured sitting on the lap
of her paternal grandmother, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in an adorable family portrait
of the monarch with the youngest members of the British royal family that was
released on Wednesday — the day before she celebrates her 90th birthday. People
reports that the portrait was taken by legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz
on March 28.
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| The Queen surrounded by her two youngest grandchildren and her five great-grandchildren #Queenat90 This is the first in a series of official photographs released today to mark The Queen's 90th birthday. They were taken at Windsor Castle just after Easter by renowned portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz. From left: James, Viscount Severn, Lady Louise, Mia Tindell, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Charlotte, Savannah Phillips, Prince George and Isla Phillips. |
Annie Leibovitz’s portrait includes the queen’s youngest
grandchildren, Prince Edward’s children Lady Louise, 12, and James, Viscount
Severn, 8. The rest of the children in the portrait, including Princess
Charlotte, are the queen’s great-grandchildren: Princess Charlotte’s older
brother, 2-year-old Prince George, and Princess Anne’s three grandchildren,
Savannah Phillips, 5; Isla Phillips, 4; and Mia Tindall, 2. The Phillips girls
are the daughters of Princess Anne’s son Peter Phillips, and Mia Tindall is the
daughter of Princess Anne’s daughter Zara Tindall, who is married to retired
rugby player Mike Tindall.
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| photographs were taken at Windsor Castle just after Easter by renowned portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz |
Princess Charlotte, who now has dark hair like her mother,
the Duchess of Cambridge (formerly Kate Middleton), is holding a small toy
horse in the photo. Mia Tindall is holding the queen’s handbag, which she
picked up without having been asked to do so, according to an anonymous source
who spoke to People.
Princess Charlotte’s portrait was taken along with her
cousins as part of the celebration of the monarch’s 90th birthday, which is
today, April 21. The United Kingdom usually selects a Saturday in early to
mid-June to officially celebrate the monarch’s birthday — this was first
decreed by King Edward VII, who reigned from 1901 to 1910, so that there would
be a better chance of good weather on the day. The monarch’s birthday is
celebrated on this June Saturday with a patriotic ceremony called Trooping the
Colour, which includes the Queen’s birthday parade, featuring 14,000 soldiers,
200 horses, and 400 musicians.
Princess Charlotte is probably too young to be a public
headliner during the 2016 Trooping the Colour ceremony, but Prince George made
an appearance last year when his father, who is also known as Prince William,
held him as the royal family stood with Queen Elizabeth II to watch the Royal
Air Force do a fly-past at the end of the celebration. Prince William also made
his first Trooping the Colour appearance at the age of 2, and also in the arms
of his father, Charles, the Prince of Wales.
Princess Charlotte and Prince George and their little
cousins are featured in one of three official portraits released on Wednesday.
Annie Leibovitz also took the other two portraits, one of which spotlights
Queen Elizabeth II on a set of stone steps on the East Terrace of Windsor
Castle, her weekend residence, with her famous and beloved corgis. There are
four corgis pictured, and according to Buckingham Palace, their names are
Willow, Vulcan, Candy, and Holly.
Annie Leibovitz’s third portrait features Queen Elizabeth II
with her only daughter, Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, who is the seventh
Princess Royal. Princess Anne is the second child of Queen Elizabeth II and her
consort, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. The Prince of
Wales is her older brother. Annie Leibovitz’s portrait of the queen with the
Princess Royal was taken in the White Drawing Room in Windsor Castle.
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| Her Majesty with Princess Anne |
Annie Leibovitz’s portrait with the queen’s grandchildren
and great-grandchildren marks the first time the public has seen Princess
Charlotte since photos were released from the Cambridges’ ski trip in March,
but it’s the second official photo of Prince George to be released this week.
Prince George was featured on a Royal Mail postage stamp sheet commemorating
the queen’s 90th birthday as well, in a photo of the queen with the next three
family members who are in direct line to the throne — the Prince of Wales,
Prince William, and Prince George.
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| RoyalMail celebrates Queenat90 with a specially commissioned Stamp Sheet of 4 generations of the Royal Family |
According to The Guardian, Queen Elizabeth II is the United
Kingdom’s first nonagenarian monarch as of today, April 21. For her part, Her
Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge will celebrate her first
birthday on May 2, 2016. Prince George will be 3 years old on July 22.
Photo source-Chris Jackson/Ghetty Images
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