Today [17 May] a series of previously unreleased photos of the Royal Family will go on display, including a never-before-seen photo of Queen Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margret with their children.
Getting insight into life behind the Palace doors is always exciting for royal fans. Whether it’s through dramatisations like Netflix’s The Crown that fans are hoping will return for a seventh season, books like Prince Harry’s memoir Spare, or just little tidbits here and there like the one an expert recently reveals concerning Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis’ strict playtime rule.
It’s rare that the royal themselves share much about their home lives, understandably wanting privacy over the more precious family moments that punctuate their history. But royal fans are in for a treat as Buckingham Palace has today [17 May] released a series of never-before-seen photos of the royals.
In an exhibition titles Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography, The Royal Collection Trust will put some unreleased photos and portraits on display in Buckingham Palace for the public to come and see – and our favourite is undoubtedly the shot of Queen Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret both holding their newborn babies.
In the image, we can see Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, Princess Alexandra, and the then-Duchess of Kent all smiling at the camera as they lovingly hold their babies. The photo was taken in 1964 by Princess Margaret’s husband, Antony Armstrong-Jones, and was sent to Sir John Peel who had delivered all four children within two months of each other.
The babies in the photos are the late Queen’s son Prince Edward and Princess Margaret’s daughter, Lady Sarah who is one of the few royal relatives Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet have a relationship with.
The sweet picture is just one of more than 150 that will feature in the exhibition of photos and other items taken from the Royal Collection and Royal Archives, many of which are going on display for the first time ever.
Other unreleased images include pictures of Queen Elizabeth’s parents, King George VI and the Queen Mother, the earliest surviving colour photo of a royal, the Queen Mother’s personal copy of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation portrait, and Andy Warhol’s stunning portrait of the Queen which he did in 1985.
Another standout piece is one of Kate Middleton’s 40th birthday pictures which will be placed next to a portrait of Alexandra, Princess of Wales, as it is said to resemble the image.
The exhibition will run until October 2024, with many of the older photos being so delicate that they cannot go on display permanently due to conservation purposes.
You can visit the exhibition at The King’s Gallery, formerly The Queen’s Gallery, at Buckingham Palace. It is open every Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday until 6 October 2024, including some Tuesdays and Wednesdays through the school holidays. Tickets costs between £9.50 and £12.00, with under fives going free and £1 tickets being available for those on Universal Credit and other named benefits.
In other royal news, Princess Charlotte wore grandma Princess Diana’s favourite fashion style and Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet may not have joined their parents’ Nigeria trip, but Meghan Markle’s subtle tribute showed they were in their thoughts. Plus, Does Princess Charlotte suffer ‘middle child’ syndrome? She’s a ‘rule-follower’ at school but ‘rules the roost’ at home, apparently.
