The Greatest Royal Family Photos Over the Decades

They are the most photographed family in the world, and there's no denying that when the Windsors do all appear together, they give us some special moments to remember. From the pomp and circumstance of traditional events like Trooping the Colour and the Order of the Garter service to family moments like weddings and christenings, the Queen and her clan certainly make a mark when they work as one. Here are some of their best family moments over the years and, get ready: they're really rather special.

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October 1950
Getty/ Central Press

October 1950

The Queen has made no secret of the value she places on the support she's had from all generations of her family. Her grandmother, Queen Mary, and her mother, later the Queen Mum, were big influences on her and helped her when her own children (including a baby Anne, seen here) were young.

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1961
Getty/ Hulton Deutsch

1961

Even monarchs worry about their baby staying warm! Queen Elizabeth II was no exception, tucking Prince Andrew in neatly as her family posed for photos during a stay at their Scottish home in Balmoral in 1961.

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April 1965
Getty/ Stringer

April 1965

It's Prince Edward's turn to pose in the family pram as the one year old royal joined his mum, dad and siblings for a photo session at Frogmore House, Windsor. It looks like Prince Philip can just about keep Prince Andrew from wheeling his baby brother off.

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June 1965
Getty/ Bettman

June 1965

Prince Edward, sitting on the Queen's lap, seems completely oblivious to the antics of his five year old brother, Prince Andrew. The younger sons of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were snapped with their mum at Windsor Castle in June 1965.

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January 1966
Getty/ Douglas Miller

January 1966

This royal car is so packed, it's hard to make out Prince Philip, who is squeezed right into a back corner. The Windsors were en route to Sandringham in this Winter snap taken over 50 years ago.

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April 1968
Getty/ Bettman

April 1968

The Queen and Prince Philip were photographed taking a Springtime stroll with their four children at Windsor in 1968.

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Early 1970s
Getty/ Anwar Hussein

Early 1970s

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh posed for this traditional style portrait with their children at the start of a new decade.

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September 1972
Getty/ William Lovelace

September 1972

The Queen might well have felt anxious as she accompanied her youngest son, Prince Edward, to his new school in September 1972, but she showed no sign of nerves.

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November 1973
Getty/ Keystone

November 1973

A wedding is a good chance for a photo of all the family together, and that's just as true for the royals as the rest of us. The group snap from Princess Anne's first marriage included distant cousins and European relatives, a real family photo.

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July 1976
Getty/ Anwar Hussein

July 1976

The whole Royal Family headed to Canada in 1976 for the Olympics Games where the Queen gathered them all for a family photograph.

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April 1977
Getty/ Anwar Hussein

April 1977

The Queen took time out during her busy Jubilee year to visit the Badminton Horse Trials with her son, Edward, and niece, Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones.

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May 1980
Getty/ Anwar Hussein

May 1980

Her children have grown up to share her love of the outdoors and the Queen enjoyed a visit to the Windsor Horse Show with Prince Andrew as he turned 20.

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August 1982
Getty/ Anwar Hussein

August 1982

The christening of a future king brought many of the Queen's family, and some of her European cousins, to Buckingham Palace. Prince William bawled through the whole thing.

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September 1982
Getty/ Anwar Hussein

September 1982

They might have been monarch and consort, but the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were parents first and foremost as they welcomed Prince Andrew home to his family following his service in the Falklands War.

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June 1984
Getty/ Anwar Hussein

June 1984

Remember how excited we all got when William brought Prince George on to the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the first time? Here's how his dad helped him out with a Trooping the Colour debut just before his second birthday.

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December 1984
Getty/ Anwar Hussein

December 1984

Future king, William, stole the show at his baby brother's christening and left the royal family in giggles as he took center stage during the official photos.

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May 1987
Getty/ Anwar Hussein

May 1987

Sometimes, a granny just has to pretend she can't hear — the Queen took Zara Phillips, then six, to the Windsor Horse Show on a girls' day out.

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June 1989
Getty/ Anwar Hussein

June 1989

The younger generation started to dominate family photos at Trooping the Colour in 1989. William had turned seven, Harry was five and they were starting to make their mark on the Windsors.

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August 1992
Getty/ Anwar Hussein

August 1992

For years, one of the best opportunities to get a more relaxed photo of the Royal Family altogether came on the Queen Mother's birthday when the Windsors celebrated with her at Clarence House.

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June 1999
Getty/ Anwar Hussein

June 1999

It was a low-key wedding for the Windsors, but that didn't mean they weren't going to celebrate when Prince Edward married Sophie Rhys-Jones at Windsor. The last royal marriage of the 20th century gave us a relaxed photo to top it all off.

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July 2000
Getty/ Anwar Hussein

July 2000

The Queen Mother was at the heart of the Royal Family for decades, and her children and grandchildren's love for her always shone through.

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December 2001
Getty/ Anwar Hussein

December 2001

Families look after one another and as 2001 drew to an end, the Queen took charge of a poignant get together celebrating the 100th birthday of her aunt, Princess Alice. Elizabeth II sat with her aunt and her sister, Princess Margaret, for the celebrations which, sadly, would mark the last public appearance of both princesses.

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June 2002
Getty/ Georges De Keerle

June 2002

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were surrounded by their children and grandchildren as they marked the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2002.

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June 2003
Getty/ Anwar Hussein

June 2003

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh posed for a special portrait with the first and second in line to the throne to mark the 50th anniversary of Elizabeth II's coronation.

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June 2004
Getty/ Anwar Hussein

June 2004

The Queen became the envy of just about everyone when Prince William swooped in for a kiss after she presented him with a polo trophy at Windsor.

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2005
Getty/ Anwar Hussein

2005

Quite possibly the only person who can get away with laughing at Prince Philip is the Queen and she did just that when she saw him on parade at Buckingham Palace.

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April 2006
Getty/ Anwar Hussein Collection

April 2006

The Queen was joined by her four eldest grandchildren - Peter Phillips, Zara Phillips, Prince William and Prince Harry - to watch a fireworks display at her 80th birthday party at Kew Palace.

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November 2007
Getty/ Tim Graham

November 2007

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary on Nov ember 20th 2007. They celebrated at a special dinner hosted by the Prince of Wales and Charles was joined by his siblings, Anne, Andrew, and Edward for this historic photo with their parents.

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November 2007
Getty/ Tim Graham

November 2007

There was time for a very special family photo at the Queen and Prince Philip's Diamond Wedding Anniversary celebrations. They posed alongside their children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins for a snapshot of the House of Windsor in the 21st century.

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May 2008
Getty/ AFP

May 2008

The wedding of her eldest grandchild, Peter Phillips, and Autumn Kelly at Windsor provided the perfect chance for the Queen to get her whole family together.

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June 2009
Getty/ Max Mumby

June 2009

Royal Ascot is always a great chance to see the Queen and her whole family together. In 2009, she was spotted sharing a joke with Charles, Edward, and Anne.

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April 2011
Getty/ AFP Photo/ Hugo Burnand

April 2011

The royal wedding of the century produced a royal portrait to remember. The Queen joined William and Kate in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace for a photo for the history books.

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July 2011
Getty/ Chris Jackson

July 2011

When Zara Phillips married Mike Tindall in Edinburgh in July 2011, they threw a pre-wedding party which meant we all got to see the Royal Family try to walk elegantly off a boat after a cocktail or three.

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June 2012
Getty/ WPA Pool

June 2012

It's an ancient tradition at the very heart of the royal establishment but that doesn't mean the Windsors can't enjoy themselves - the whole family turned out for the Order of the Garter Service in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Year and seemed to love every second of it.

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June 2012
Getty/ Pool

June 2012

It might have rained all day but that didn't stop the Royal Family putting on a sparkling show as they sailed down the Thames in a flotilla to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

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December 2013
Getty/ Pool

December 2013

The Queen pays great attention to the photos on display during her annual Christmas speech and, in the year that Prince George was born, she included the historic image of her with the three generations of princes who will succeed her in pride of place. It was flanked by photos of her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, a reminder of the long family history she has cherished.

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December 2014
Getty/ Danny Martindale

December 2014

The Windsors always enjoy a family Christmas with the Queen leading them to church on the big day itself. There's always a good chance to see them together as they leave afterwards.

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July 2015
Getty/ WPA Pool

July 2015

Princess Charlotte's christening, at the church of St. Mary Magdalene at Sandringham, provided a rare chance to see the Queen with her Cambridge great grandchildren.

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June 2016
Getty/ Justin Tallis

June 2016

Queen Elizabeth II asked her eldest grandson, Peter Phillips, to organise a celebration for her 90th birthday. She was snapped enjoying the 'People's Picnic' on the Mall with him and the Duke of Cambridge as the party got under way.

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September 2017
Getty/ Chris Jackson

September 2017

They were the Royal Family that entered Buckingham Palace when the Queen took the throne and over sixty years on they are still together. Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are often joined by Prince Charles and Princess Anne at the Braemar Games during the family's holiday at Balmoral.

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May 2018
Getty/ WPA Pool

May 2018

The Royal Family lined up neatly in the stalls of St. George's Chapel at Windsor to welcome its newest member as Meghan Markle married Prince Harry.

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October 2018
Getty/ Pool/ Samir Hussein

October 2018

Every wedding, even a Windsor one, needs the whole family getting excited as they wait to wave off the happy couple. The Queen led the Royal Family in celebrating when her granddaughter, Princess Eugenie,married Jack Brooksbank at Windsor.

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