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Royal Family Shares Sweet Photo of Queen Elizabeth in Honor of Her 95th Birthday

We might not be getting an official birthday portrait for Queen Elizabeth this year, however, Buckingham Palace made sure to celebrate the milestone by sharing a photo anyway.

Earlier this week, in anticipation of the monarch’s 95th birthday today, it was revealed that while royal family members typically share a new portrait each year, she will not be unveiling one. Instead, to mark the occasion, the official Royal Family Instagram account shared a photo of the 95-year-old smiling during a previous engagement.

“The Queen was born at 2.40am on 21 April 1926 at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, London. She was the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth,” the post’s caption read. “This year Her Majesty remains at Windsor Castle, during a period of Royal Mourning following the death of The Duke of Edinburgh.”

In addition to the image, Queen Elizabeth also used the occasion to speak out for the first time since announcing the loss of her husband, Prince Philip. Earlier today, the monarch released a personal statement thanking fans and followers for their birthday wishes as well as their ongoing support during this difficult time in her family.

She wrote, “I have, on the occasion of my 95th birthday today, received many messages of good wishes, which I very much appreciate. While as a family we are in a period of great sadness, it has been a comfort to us all to see and to hear the tributes paid to my husband, from those within the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and around the world. My family and I would like to thank you all for the support and kindness shown to us in recent days. We have been deeply touched, and continue to be reminded that Philip had such an extraordinary impact on countless people throughout his life."

So, while we were looking forward to a new portrait, we totally understand and are happy to take what we can get.

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