Buckingham Palace Just Posted a Striking Royal Portrait on IG—But It Wasn't Who I Was Expecting

That said, this isn’t the first time the account has shared birthday wishes to the Duke, who was a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, as they both shared the same grandparents—King George V and Queen Mary of Teck. For his birthday in 2023, a collage of photos was posted to the royal family's Instagram Story, with a caption that read, “Wishing The Duke of Gloucester a very Happy Birthday today!”

The post included three photos of the Duke that showed him chatting with children and shaking someone’s hand, along with a stunning photograph of his wife, Birgitte, the Duchess of Gloucester. This year’s birthday post to the Duke follows the account posting two new royal portraits of Princess Anne, where Rachel Bowie, senior director of special projects and royals, noticed her signature brooch was missing in both.

“But actually, the choice to pare down her jewelry (there’s no tiara in sight) in her birthday portraits makes sense,” she writes. She continues: “If there’s one core message that has been delivered by the palace leading up to this milestone occasion, it’s that there will be zero. fuss. made. Yes, the Royal Mint dropped a new coin, but other than that, her intention is to spend the day as she always does: Sailing around western Scotland with her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence. And that’s that. (Low-maintenance jewelry feels in line with that approach.)”

Buckingham Palace, always bringing the surprises.

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