19 Official Portraits of the British Royal Family
Updated: Jan. 04, 2022
Travel back in time and witness the change of history with these incredible official portraits of the British royal family.
King George IV
King George IV of England reigned for ten years, from 1820 to 1830. His father, King George III, bought Buckingham Palace in 1761 and turned it into a royal residence. Take a look at these 12 rarely seen photos of Buckingham Palace.
The Duke and Duchess of Fife
Alexander Duff, 6th Earl of Fife married Louise, Princess Royal, (the eldest daughter of King Edward VII) in 1889.
Four royal generations, 1895
Queen Victoria sitting with her great-grandson, the future King Edward VIII. Behind her is her grandson, the future King George V and eldest son, the future King Edward VII. Take a look at these candid, rarely seen photos of the current royal family.
The royal family with friends, 1897
In the center, Queen Victoria sits while surrounded by her children, in-laws, grandchildren, and other European royalty. Find out some of the perks of being a member of the royal family.
A royal christening, 1926
Queen Elizabeth holding then-Princess Elizabeth as an infant on the day of her christening. King George V stands second from the left with King George VI (then the Duke of York) to the right.
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, 1928
Before they were King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, this royal couple was known as the Duke and Duchess of York.
Like mother like daughters, 1937
Queen Elizabeth sits next to then-Princess Elizabeth and holds Princess Margaret. Though photographs show the royal family so close, there have been at least 10 shocking royal family feuds throughout history.
Edward VIII marries Wallis Simpson, 1937
King Edward VIII stepped down from the throne in order to marry American socialite Wallis Simpson, who had been married twice before. Their royal titles became Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Find out 12 more times the royal family broke their own protocol.
Preparing for the wedding, 1947
Then-Princess Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth, King George VI, and Princess Margaret before the wedding of Elizabeth and Philip (second from left). Take a look at the 19 most iconic royal wedding photos throughout history.
Princess Elizabeth marries Prince Philip, 1947
Then-Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, married after he received permission from King George VI and became a naturalized British citizen. (He was actually born in Greece!)
Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, 1953
At a young 25 years old, Princess Elizabeth took the throne and became Queen Elizabeth II.
The silver anniversary, 1972
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary with their children: (from left to right) Prince Charles, Prince Edward, Prince Andrew, and Princess Anne. Oh, and don’t forget the family dog, too. Can you find him? You’d never believe the real reason why the Queen has owned so many corgis.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, 1981
Prince Charles, the oldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, married Lady Diana Spencer on July 29, 1981.
Duke and Duchess of York, 1986
Prince Andrew, the third child of the Queen, married Sarah Ferguson in 1986 but they divorced 20 years later. Need a refresher on who’s who in the House of Windsor? This royal family tree explains it all.
The Queen Mother turns 90, 1990
The Queen Mother seated with her daughter Princess Margaret, grandson Prince Andrew, and granddaughter Princess Anne. The Queen Mother lived to be 100, the only royal family member to live that long.
Princess Anne marries Timothy Laurence, 1992
Queen Elizabeth II’s only daughter, Princess Anne, married Timothy Laurence (her second husband) in Scotland because the Church of Scotland allows remarriages for divorced people. Though Timothy has no official royal title, the Queen knighted him in 2011. Here 9 other things the Queen actually has the power to do.
Prince Charles marries Camilla Parker Bowles, 2005
The official portrait of Prince Charles and his second bride Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall on their wedding day. On the left: Charles’ children, Prince Harry and Prince William, and Charles’ parents, Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II. On the right: Camilla’s children, Laura and Tom Parker Bowles, and her father, Major Bruce Shand.
Prince William marries Catherine Middleton, 2011
Prince William, the eldest son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, married Kate Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge.
Prince Harry marries Meghan Markle, 2018
Prince Harry, Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s youngest son, makes history by marrying American actress Meghan Markle. This is the first time a member of the British royal family was born in America. Next, find out the unusual royal traditions and ceremonies you never knew existed.
