- It's Queen Elizabeth II's 94th birthday today (impressive!), and in honor of that, the Royal Family Instagram account has shared a compilation of private videos from when the monarch was very young.
- The video shows the Queen and sister Margaret horsing around—literally, riding horses and playing with dogs—and exploring and dancing. It's adorable.
- The Queen's traditional Trooping the Colour celebration in June has been cancelled, but you can look through old ceremony photos here.
Happy birthday Your Majesty! The 94-year-old Queen Elizabeth II is self-isolating with Prince Philip on her birthday, instead of the traditional pomp and circumstance. But never fear: The Royal Family Instagram account has truly blessed us with throwback Queen content instead. From the Royal Collection Trust come private videos (some of which look like they might have been casually filmed by family members) of the Queen and her sister Princess Margaret at a very young age. Like, babies. And it's the cutest thing ever.
Ugh, this video has absolutely everything. The Queen as a baby in her stroller, trailing a toy behind her. The animal-lover riding a horse (she's loved riding and racing her entire life), playing with the family dogs, and basically being Snow White with a bird crawling up her shoulder. She and her sister Margaret—who look nearly like twins—horsing around, exploring, and gardening together. The two girls with their mother dancing—People calls it a reel—on the deck of the Royal Yacht Britannia.
Seriously, just watch (they look so happy and relaxed!). It's a totally different look at the usually buttoned-up monarch:
A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)
A photo posted by on
We also got a fabulous still photo from the Royal Collection Trust, along with some details about her early love for all things equestrian:
Happy birthday to Her Majesty The Queen, 94 today! On her fourth birthday Princess Elizabeth was given a Shetland pony by her grandfather, King George V. She took riding lessons in Windsor Great Park and was able to ride on her own by the age of six. https://t.co/cyg7vhPL0H pic.twitter.com/ERZN1KyRSgApril 21, 2020
Meanwhile, the well wishes for the Queen have been pouring in, including from Kate Middleton and Prince William.
A post shared by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@dukeandduchessofcambridge)
A photo posted by on
I think my favorite post might be the Royal Family sharing a recipe for (absolutely adorable) cupcakes on Twitter though:
🎂🧁🎈Happy birthday to Her Majesty! To celebrate The Queen's birthday we are sharing a chocolate cupcake recipe from The Royal Pastry Chefs. Remember to share your creations with us #royalbakes pic.twitter.com/Qqje7Cju63April 21, 2020
Are they the Queen's faves?? Tell me! (Also, anyone, please bake them for me?)
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Katherine’s a Boston-based contributor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle—from “Clueless” to Everlane to news about Lizzo. She’s been a freelancer for 11 years and has had roles with Cosmopolitan and Bustle, with bylines in Parents, Seventeen, and elsewhere. It’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.
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