Prince William and wife Kate Middleton have shared a never before seen family photo of his late grandfather Prince Philip sitting alongside wife Queen Elizabeth II , 94, with seven of their adorable great grandchildren. The Duke of Edinburgh passed away peacefully at home in Windsor Castle at the age of 99 on April 9, after 73 years of marriage to the monarch. The photo was taken by the 39-year-old Duchess of Cambridge in 2018 at Scotland’s Balmoral Castle, where Philip and Elizabeth spent their summers. It showed the royal couple surrounded by the beautiful family extended they helped create.
The photo posted on Apr. 14 included William and Kate’s three children. Their eldest Prince George, 7, could be seen standing next to the monarch in Tartan shorts, a short sleeved white shirt and navy knee-socks. He looked so well behaved as he posed with his arms at his sides and smiling into the camera. The Queen held his almost three-year-old little brother Prince Louis on her lap, who would have been around five months old, at the time as he was born in April 2018.
Princess Charlotte, 5, sat on the sofa in between her great grandparents. Always so cheeky when it comes to photographs, Lottie held up her left hand and extended all four fingers outward. She held on to little Louis with her other hand. She looked adorable in a light blue floral dress with bright red Mary Jane shoes and white ankle socks.
Philip was surrounded by the grandchildren of his only daughter, Princess Anne, 70. He had his arm around Isla Phillips, 9, as she sat on the sofa next to him and cradled her baby cousin Lena Tindall, now 2. Lena’s big sister Mia Tindall, 7, stood protectively next to her little sister while wearing a pretty pink dress. Eldest great grandchild — 10-year-old Savannah Phillips — could be seen standing behind the sofa just behind Charlotte.
William and Kate via their @kensingtonroyal Instagram page shared another photo taken at Balmoral in 2015 when Charlotte was just a baby and George was a two-year-old, as they stood on either side of Elizabeth and Philip. “Today we share, along with Members of @theroyalfamily, photographs of The Duke of Edinburgh, remembering him as a father, grandfather and great-grandfather,” they wrote in the caption. The photo of the monarch and her husband with their great grandchildren posted shortly thereafter. Prince Philip’s funeral will be held at St. George’s Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle on Sat. Apr. 19. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, it will be limited to close family only with just 30 people allowed to be present, though the event will be televised.