The young Princess Elizabeth when she was just two (Picture: @RoyalFamily)
The Royal Family has shared a sweet picture the Queen as a toddler to mark her 96th birthday.
An image posted on social media shows the young Princess Elizabeth posing for a photo in 1928 – when she was just two years old.
At the time, she was not expected to ever become Queen. But that changed when her uncle Edward VIII abdicated in 1936, and her father became King.
In the black and white image, the Queen has a curly mop of hair and is smiling with her hands resting on her cheeks.
The post said: ‘Happy Birthday Your Majesty! 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.’
It comes after a new photograph of the Queen showing her between two white ponies with a backdrop of tree blossom was released.
The new portrait of the monarch was taken last month in the grounds of Windsor Castle to show her love for horses and mark her birthday.
The Queen usually marks her birthday privately, with the official celebration – Trooping the Colour – held in June.
Members of the royal family took to social media today to wish the Queen a Happy Birthday.
Kate and William called the monarch an ‘inspiration to many’ alongside a sweet family photo the Queen and Prince Philip surrounded by their great-grandchildren.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shared a family snap as they wished the Queen a Happy Birthday (Picture: @KensingtonRoyal)
The Queen turns 96 today (Picture: @KensingtonRoyal)
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