Queen Elizabeth II looked ‘youthful’ and ‘wide-eyed’ in family photo

A rare snapshot of Queen Elizabeth II surrounded by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren shows the former head of the monarchy in the centre of the image. Though she looked frail with some of the youngest royals like Savannah Phillips, Lady Louise Windsor, James, Earl of Wessex, and Prince George towering over her, a body language expert claimed that the sweet moment perfectly captured the late Queen’s “youthful” essence.

The heart-warming photograph was taken by Kate, Princess of Wales, capturing summer memories of when the Royal Family gathered at Balmoral Castle last year.

Queen Elizabeth II can be seen at the heart of the image with 10 of her great-grandchildren gathered around her – all with beaming smiles.

Though it’s easy to see the photograph for the sweet memory that it is, body language expert Judi James pointed out that it is a nod to the late Queen’s own youthful nature.

Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, she said: “There are two key reasons why this pose is so touching.”

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Judi continued: “Firstly from the body language of the royal great-grandchildren, who look so proud of their great grandma, sitting in between them.

“Their smiling, softened facial expressions suggest authentic warmth and affection for her, but it is the late Queen herself whose body language is so appealing.

“Her pose is low on signals of power and matriarchal authority. If anything she looks like a child herself, sitting wide-eyed in the middle of the other children, more as Lilibet than as great-granny.”

While Elizabeth would have celebrated her 97th birthday today, her “young at heart” nature is something she was loved for by both her family and the public.

For example, at her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022, the Queen made her debut cameo with Paddington Bear.

Judi said: “In the photograph, her pose looks like an extension of the Queen we saw delighting in meeting Paddington Bear almost as much as her grandchildren enjoyed watching the magical video.”

Stood next to their grandmother in the image are Lady Louise Windsor, James, Earl of Wessex, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Savannah Phillips, Isla Phillips, Mia Tindall, Lena Tindall, and Lucas Tindall.

Missing, are Princess Lilibet of Sussex and Prince Archie of Sussex, who live in Montecito, US with their parents – the Queen’s grandchildren, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.