The Queen opened up her personal photo album as the royal family sent well-wishes to the Duke of Edinburgh on his 99th birthday on Wednesday. The Firm's Instagram account shared nine incredible photos of Prince Philip through the years, starting with a sweet image of the Queen and the Duke holding a six-month-old Prince Charles in his arms in 1949.
READ: The Queen and Prince Philip pictured together in Windsor to celebrate the Duke's 99th birthday
WATCH: Prince Philip's incredible life in pictures
The carousel of photos featured some of the highlights of the monarch and the Duke's life together, including the Queen and Prince Philip waving from the balcony of Buckingham Palace at her coronation in 1953, another of the couple sitting in their living room at Balmoral castle with their corgis in 1977 and a close-up snap of the pair attending the Royal Maundy service together in 1961. The royal family also posted a photo of the Queen and the Duke at the winter rodeo during their tour of Canada in 1951, with Philip wearing a Stetson, and another portrait of the couple in the grounds of Balmoral in 1972.
Prince Philip was a naval officer when he met the then Princess Elizabeth and among the gallery of photos was a photo of the Duke wearing his uniform in his role as Commander of the Frigate HMS Magpie. The second portrait included in the Instagram post shows the Duke working at his desk in Clarence House in 1951.
The Instagram caption read: "Wishing The Duke of Edinburgh a very happy birthday! His Royal Highness turns 99 today and will spend the day with The Queen at Windsor." Buckingham Palace released a new photo of Her Majesty and the Prince ahead of his birthday, which was taken in the grounds of Windsor Castle earlier this month.
MORE: Prince Philip's incredible wedding gift to the Queen revealed
Prince Philip working at his desk in 1951
Prince Philip retired from public duties, aged 96, in August 2017 and he was last pictured at a formal occasion in May 2019 at the wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor and Thomas Kingston. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will mark 73 years of marriage in November.
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