The Royal Windsor Horse Show has issued a new photograph of the monarch in honor of the Queen’s birthday on Thursday.
The Queen stands proudly between her fell ponies, Bybeck Katie and Bybeck Nightingale, in this stunning photograph captured last month on the grounds of Windsor Castle. She is dressed in a dark green cape-style cloak and stands in front of a magnolia tree with the reins of two of her favorite horses.
On a site full of the remembrance of her late husband Prince Philip, who died in April at the age of 99, Queen Elizabeth will celebrate her 96th birthday.
As per Yahoo, the monarch flew from Windsor Castle to her Norfolk home, Sandringham, roughly 110 miles north of London, on Wednesday, according to Buckingham Palace.
She’s thought to be residing at Wood Farm, Philip’s quaint five-bedroom home where he spent most of his retirement.
The Queen will celebrate her birthday in solitude, according to the palace.
Queen Elizabeth has always had a passion for horses, and she was given her first horse (a Shetland pony) when she was just four years old. She’s also been known to get excited at horse races, cheering on her horses with vigour.
She hasn’t ridden since early September, according to reports.” She was in quite a bit of discomfort,” a source told The Sun in October. “She adores riding, and it has been part of her ritual for most of her life. She has been extremely disappointed not to go riding since the beginning of September.”
Her passion for horseback riding has been handed along to future royal generations. Princess Anne, the Queen’s daughter, was the first British royal to compete in an Olympic event when she rode in the equestrian three-day event in Montreal in 1976. Anne’s daughter, Zara Tindall, competed in the 2012 Olympics and won a silver medal as a member of the Great Britain Evening Team, following in her mother’s footsteps.
Members of the royal family are celebrating the Queen’s birthday on social media on Thursday.
“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,” Prince William and Kate Middleton shared on their account alongside a family photo of the Queen and Prince Philip with their great-grandchildren.
Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall have also shared a number of images of the monarch throughout the years, including one of Charles kissing his mother’s hand.
“Wishing Her Majesty The Queen a particularly special 96th birthday today, as we celebrate her Platinum Jubilee year,” they wrote.
And the Queen’s official social media accounts shared a photo of the monarch at just 2 years old.
“Happy Birthday Your Majesty! Today as The Queen turns 96, we’re sharing this photograph of the young Princess Elizabeth aged 2. Then, in 1928, it was never expected she would be Queen, and this year Her Majesty is celebrating her #PlatinumJubilee – a first in British history,” the caption read.
