Royal family pay tribute to 'inspirational' Queen Elizabeth II on her 96th birthday

Prince Charles and Camilla, along with Prince William and Kate, celebrated the monarch on Thursday

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shared this picture with the queen, taken at the Chelsea Flower Show, to mark her 96th birthday. Photo: Twitter / Kensington Royal

Members of the British royal family led tributes to Queen Elizabeth II on her 96th birthday on Thursday.

Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, along with Prince William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, were among the first to celebrate the monarch, who is the longest-reigning in British history.

A post from the official Twitter account for the royal family shared a portrait of the queen, taken in 1928, when she was aged 2.

“Happy Birthday Your Majesty,” the tweet said. “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 Clarence House account, the official Twitter of Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, shared a series of photographs, including one showing the Prince of Wales kissing the hand of his mother.

“Wishing Her Majesty the Queen a particularly special 96th birthday today, as we celebrate her Platinum Jubilee year,” the tribute said.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also shared two pictures, one of the couple with the queen at the Chelsea Flower Show and another of the queen and Prince Philip surrounded by their great-grandchildren.

“Wishing Her Majesty The Queen a very happy 96th birthday today,” the couple’s official Kensington Royal account tweeted. “An inspiration to so many across the UK, the Commonwealth and the world, it’s particularly special to be celebrating in this #PlatinumJubilee year."

A new official portrait of the queen was released to mark her birthday, paying tribute to the monarch’s lifelong love of horses.

The portrait, which shows the queen holding the reins of two of her white Fell ponies, was taken in March on the grounds of Windsor Castle by Henry Dallal, who also took the official portrait for her 90th birthday.

To celebrate her birthday, the queen travelled from Windsor to her Sandringham estate to stay at the property loved by her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.