We three future Kings... Queen’s proud portrait
THE Queen and her heirs pose for an endearing portrait to mark the dawn of a new decade.
Unveiled last night, the picture shows four generations of the Royal Family together.
Her Majesty, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and Prince George are seen standing in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace.
The Queen, 93, beams at the front of the group in a white dress with her handbag tucked over her arm.
Prince William, 37, in a navy suit and tie, looms behind his gran.
Prince George, six, wears a Peter Pan collar shirt and dark tartan trousers.
Standing behind and resting his hand on the little lad’s shoulder, Prince Charles, 71, opts for a pinstripe suit.
It is only the second time a photo of the Queen with the three future Kings has been released by the Palace.
Chuckle
The first was issued in April 2016 to celebrate her 90th birthday, then printed on commemorative stamps. Both images were taken by renowned photographer Ranald Mackechnie, who says he is also a fan of TV’s Royle Family.
The new portrait was taken on December 18, when the monarch had her own Royal Family round to Buckingham Palace for Christmas lunch.
The monarch, Charles, William and George made plum puddings and were pictured in front of a Christmas tree adorned with regal and crown decorations.
In footage that was played during her Christmas Day message, George was seen repeatedly stabbing the thick pudding mixture with a wooden spoon, making his grandfather chuckle.
The latest portrait is likely to have taken considerable planning.
Londoner Ranald spent weeks preparing before the 2016 session.
He even used stand-ins for the royals to help perfect his composition before the real family arrived for their sitting.