Kate Middleton And Prince William Share A Sweet Family Photograph In Honour Of The Queen’s Birthday

Queen Elizabeth II turned 96 today, ahead of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June.

The longest-reigning monarch, who ascended to the throne at age 25 on February 6, 1952, has since then made an impact on not just the public but her nearest and dearest as well.

Kate Middleton and Prince William made that very clear in a sweet sentiment they publicly shared in her honour.

The Duke and Duchess shared a family photograph via their Twitter account (@KensingtonRoyal) to mark her birthday.

It shows the Queen and her late husband Prince Philip sat on a sofa, posing for the camera with Middleton and Prince William's three children, Prince George, eight, Princess Charlotte, six and Prince Louis, three.

Their other great-grandchildren, including Savannah Phillips, her sister Isla, Mia and Lena Tindall, Zara Tindall's children, feature in the photo, which was taken by Middleton herself at Balmoral Castle in 2018.

The photo shared by Middleton and Prince William, which showed a relaxed side to the royal family, was accompanied by a message that read: 'Wishing Her Majesty The Queen a very happy 96th birthday today!

'An inspiration to so many across the UK, the Commonwealth and the world, it’s particularly special to be celebrating in this #PlatinumJubilee year.'

Another photo was shared by the Palace to commemorate Her Majesty's birthday, which shows her holding the reins of her ponies in the sunshine.

She travelled from Windsor Castle to Sandringham estate in Norfolk where she'll be marking her 96th birthday in private, and will be staying at Wood Farm, the cottage where she and the Duke of Edinburgh spent much of his retirement and weekends together.

Earlier this month, the Daily Mail reported that Middleton and Prince William, who usually split their time between their homes in Anmer Hall, Norfolk and their permanent residence at Kensington Palace, 'will move to Windsor this summer to be closer to the Queen'.

This came after it was revealed that the Queen would permanently live at Windsor Castle (her former 'weekend residence') and not return to Buckingham Palace full-time.

Middleton and Prince William were, at the time, also understood to be looking at schools in the area for their kids, as well as Buckinghamshire and Surrey.

The royal couple, believed to be looking for a private home, as opposed to a royal mansion, were reportedly considering Frogmore Cottage as an option, which resides in Windsor Castle and is the UK home of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

On March 29, the Queen paid tribute to Prince Philip during his memorial, namely The Service of Thanksgiving for the Duke of Edinburgh, ahead of the anniversary of his death on April 9.

The special shade of green she wore to mark the occasion subtly nodded to Prince Philip, as it's the colour of his official livery, and 'Edinburgh Green' references the shade that has been used for staff uniforms and private cars.

A green Land Rover was also used to carry Prince Philip's coffin at his funeral on April 17 of last year.

To top things off, for his memorial, she accessorised with a brooch that is understood to have been a gift from Prince Philip.

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