The Queen and Prince Philip are ‘doting and proud’ great-grandparents, body language expert claims
‘Doting and proud’ Prince Philip’s ‘protective’ arm around great-granddaughter Isla Phillips and the Queen’s ‘relaxed’ cuddle with Prince Louis reveals their ‘loving and natural’ bond, body language expert claims
- The Queen and Prince Philip pictured with seven of their great-grandchildren in touching family photograph
- Her Majesty and husband are ‘doting and proud’ great-grandparents, according to a body language expert
- Prince Philip, who died on Friday aged 99, placed a ‘protective arm’ around Peter Phillips’ daughter Isla
The Queen and Prince Philip appear as ‘doting and proud’ great-grandparents in the ‘loving and natural family’ photograph released ahead of the Duke of Edinburgh‘s funeral on Saturday, according to a body language expert.
Prince Philip, who died on Friday aged 99, placed a ‘protective arm’ around Peter Phillips‘ daughter Isla in the previously unseen image which was taken at Balmoral Castle in 2018 by the Duchess of Cambridge.
Her Majesty, 94, and the Duke sit alongside seven of their great-grandchildren in the photograph shared by Prince William and Kate yesterday, with the ‘relaxed’ monarch holding a then-baby Prince Louis in her arms.
Speaking to FEMAIL, body language expert Judi James said: ‘Both Prince Philip and the Queen look relaxed enough here to suggest this group pose was a happy, rather than stressful, occasion.’
She added that confident Princess Charlotte, five, ‘looks more than happy to take the central spot of the sofa’ and seems ‘happy with the attention’ signalled by her playful wave at the camera.
Meanwhile, her older brother Prince George, seven, who is third in line to the throne, wanted to ‘look grown up and well-behaved’ and his more formal pose ‘reflects his role as future king’, suggested Judi.
The Queen and Prince Philip with Prince George, Prince Louis, Savannah Phillips, Princess Charlotte, Isla Phillips holding Lena Tindall, and Mia Tindall. Pictured number one: Well-behaved Prince George’s pose ‘reflects role as future king’. Number two: The Queen and Duke are ‘doting and proud’. Number three: Princess Charlotte enlisted to help with baby Louis. Number four: The confident princess is happy to take ‘central spot’. Number five: Prince Philip extends a ‘proud and protective’ arm. Number six: George and Mia appear to want to look grown up
Analysing the family photo, the body language expert said: ‘Striking a pose with seven small and what look like very full-of-life great-grandchildren could have been a chaotic event for the Queen and Prince Philip but what has emerged is a very loving and quite natural-looking family photograph that the children are clearly loving as much as their doting and proud great-grandparents.
‘The magical facial expressions the children are wearing probably owe a lot to the fact that it was Kate behind the camera, meaning they are responding to a mother and auntie rather than a strange photographer.’
The photograph shows Prince Philip with his arm around Peter Phillips’ daughter Isla and Zara Tindall’s daughters Mia and Lena.
Commenting on the position, Judi said: ‘Prince Philip has extended an arm around Isla, Lena and Mia in a proud and protective gesture, but both he and the Queen look relaxed enough here to suggest this group pose was a happy, rather than stressful, occasion.’
Elsewhere, Princess Charlotte appeared to want to help keep then-baby Prince Louis under control while in the arms of his great-grandmother, the Queen, by holding his hand, according to the expert.
A second picture of Her Majesty and her husband was shared on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Instagram page, and showed the couple posing with Prince George and Princess Charlotte during a visit to Balmoral in 2015
‘Charlotte looks more than happy to take the central spot of the sofa and her signals of confidence prompt a cute, playful wave at the camera to suggest she’s happy with the attention,’ she said.
‘She also holds baby Louis by the hand as he sits on the Queen’s lap looking suitably lively though, and there is a suggestion that Kate might have enlisted her small daughter to help out if he tries to wriggle out of pose.’
Yet while his sister seemed to exude confidence, Prince George appeared a ‘touch shy’ and more formal, despite a ‘desire to be playful’, suggested Judi.
She claimed: ‘George and Mia wanting to look grown up have been placed at either end of the sofa and their body language here defines that stage between wanting to look grown up and well-behaved but being driven by a desire to be playful.
‘George in particular has held his arms straight down at his sides in a pose that reflects his role as future king, but his wide, affectionate smile is aimed at his mother, while the placing of his feet suggests a touch of shyness, too.’
Yesterday, Princess Eugenie shared photographs alongside her grandfather and an emotional tribute to Prince Philip (pictured, On The Royal Balcony At The Investec Derby Festival At Epsom In Surrey in 2017)
Prince William and Kate released the touching photo of the Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen with seven of their great-grandchildren yesterday, ahead of Prince Philip’s funeral on Saturday.
The previously unseen photograph shows Prince Philip with his arm around Isla, while the Queen, 94, can be seen holding a then-baby Prince Louis in her arms.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte can be seen offering a cheeky smile in the picture, while Peter’s elder daughter Savannah Phillips poses alongside Zara Tindall’s daughters Mia and Lena.
The photograph does not include the Queen and Prince Philip’s three youngest great-grandchildren, who were born in the last few years.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed their son Archie Harrison in May 2019, while Princess Eugenie and Zara Tindall both gave birth to their sons, who they named after the Duke, last month.
A second picture of Her Majesty and her husband was shared on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Instagram page, and showed the couple posing with Prince George and Princess Charlotte during a visit to Balmoral in 2015.
The caption read: ‘Today we share, along with Members of the Royal Family, photographs of The Duke of Edinburgh, remembering him as a father, grandfather and great-grandfather.’
Who are the Queen and Prince Philip’s 10 great-grandchildren?
The Duke of Edinburgh was the proud grandfather of 10 great-grandchildren.
Buckingham Palace has released a previously unseen family portrait of the Queen and Philip surrounded by seven of the youngsters at Balmoral Castle in 2018, taken from the Windsors’ private photo album.
Here is a look at the great-grandchildren, from the oldest to the youngest:
Ten-year-old Savannah Phillips, who was born in 2010, is the Queen and Philip’s eldest great-grandchild (left) while her younger sister, Isla, has just turned nine and was born in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year of 2012 (pictured with Autumn and Peter in 2019)
1. Savannah Phillips
Ten-year-old Savannah Phillips, who was born in 2010, is the Queen and Philip’s eldest great-grandchild.
She is the daughter of the Princess Royal’s son, Peter Phillips, and his ex-wife Autumn.
The couple announced they were divorcing in 2020, but share custody and co-parent their children.
At Eugenie’s wedding in 2018, bridesmaid Savannah had pageboy Prince George trying to stifle laughter when she entertained him by pretending to play the trumpet in St George’s Chapel.
She was also once seen pushing George – her second cousin – down a grassy bank at a polo match, and also putting her hand over his mouth as the National anthem was played while they were on the Buckingham Palace balcony for Trooping The Colour.
2. Isla Phillips
Savannah’s younger sister, Isla, has just turned nine and was born in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year of 2012.
Her middle name is Elizabeth in honour of the monarch. The Phillips sisters are not entitled to a royal title.
They are usually kept out of the limelight – but sometimes join other members of the family on the Buckingham Palace balcony for major events.
They are mostly spotted enjoying themselves as they play together at horse trials.
3. Prince George
Future king George, born in 2013, is the oldest of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s children (pictured front left)
Future king George, born in 2013, is the oldest of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s children.
The seven-year-old has spent much of lockdown at William and Kate’s countryside home, Anmer Hall in Norfolk.
The prince is known to be a fan of helicopters, and all things police-related.
Football-mad George is also a passionate Aston Villa fan, just like his father.
George is seen as shyer than his younger sister, Princess Charlotte, occasionally appearing a little reluctant in front of the cameras.
Third-in-line George and his siblings call the Queen “Gan Gan”.
4. Mia Tindall
Mia is the eldest child of former England rugby star Mike Tindall and Olympic medal-winning horsewoman Zara, daughter of the Princess Royal (pictured together in 2019)
Mia is the eldest child of former England rugby star Mike Tindall and Olympic medal-winning horsewoman Zara, daughter of the Princess Royal.
The fun-loving youngster, who was born in 2014, has a reputation for being mischievous.
She is often spotted running around with her father and cousins, Isla and Savannah Phillips, at horse eventing competitions.
During a portrait shoot for the Queen’s 90th birthday, Mia, then two, had the privilege of holding her great-grandmother’s classic black handbag.
Like Savannah and Isla, she is not an HRH, nor does she have a title.
5. Princess Charlotte
The Cambridges’ five-year-old middle child, Charlotte, is known for her confident, feisty character (pictured here with the Duchess of Cambridge in 2019)
The Cambridges’ five-year-old middle child, Charlotte, is known for her confident, feisty character.
The princess, who was born in 2015, likes spicy food and is nicknamed “Lottie”.
She shares a love of horses with the Queen, and bears a resemblance to her great-grandmother when she was a child.
At the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding in 2018, the playful fourth in line to the throne stuck out her tongue as she arrived by car.
She repeated the gesture while watching a presentation ceremony at the King’s Cup regatta on the Isle of Wight in 2019.
At the christening of younger brother Prince Louis, she was heard telling off photographers and declaring they were not allowed inside.
6. Prince Louis
William and Kate’s youngest child Louis was born in 2018 (pictured with children Prince George (left), Princess Charlotte (right) at Anmer Hall in Norfolk)
William and Kate’s youngest child was born in 2018. The toddler proudly joined his siblings, George and Charlotte, when they clapped for carers during lockdown.
In pictures released for his second birthday, he was shown with a paint-covered face and hands as he made a rainbow print for his window.
Louis, who has inherited the Middleton eyes, has been compared to his maternal grandfather, Michael Middleton.
7. Lena Tindall
The Tindalls welcomed a second daughter, Lena, in 2018, after suffering two miscarriages (pictured with Zara in 2019)
The Tindalls welcomed a second daughter, Lena, in 2018, after suffering two miscarriages.
The remaining great-grandchildren
The Queen and Philip’s other three great-grandchildren were not in the photograph taken by Kate, having not yet been born in 2018.
8. Archie Mountbatten-Windsor
Archie, who was born in 2019, lives thousands of miles away in California after his parents, Harry and Meghan, stepped down as senior royals last year and moved to the US
Archie, who was born in 2019, lives thousands of miles away in California after his parents, Harry and Meghan, stepped down as senior royals last year and moved to the US.
He appears to have inherited his father’s red hair, seen when he was pictured in a stylised image on the family’s Christmas card.
In the Oprah interview which rocked the monarchy, Meghan accused a member of the royal family – neither the Queen nor Philip – of raising concerns before Archie was born about how dark his skin tone might be.
The duchess also said Archie was not made a prince because of his race – although he is not actually entitled to be one or to have an HRH style yet because of rules set down by King George V more than 100 years ago.
9. August Brooksbank
August Philip Hawke Brooksbank – born to the Duke of York’s daughter Princess Eugenie and tequila brand ambassador Jack Brooksbank – arrived on February 9 this year
August Philip Hawke Brooksbank – born to the Duke of York’s daughter Princess Eugenie and tequila brand ambassador Jack Brooksbank – arrived on February 9 this year.
Eugenie described their hearts as being ‘full of love for this little human’.
His middle name was in honour of the duke.
10. Lucas Tindall
Zara delivered an 8lb 4oz son Lucas on March 21 – with the baby arriving on the bathroom floor in a surprise home birth.
Buckingham Palace said the Queen and the duke were ‘delighted’ at the news of their 10th great-grandchild.
Lucas has the middle name Philip in honour of both the duke and Mike Tindall’s father.
Great-granddaughter to be
Harry and Meghan are expecting their second child, a daughter, in the summer – the Queen and Philip’s 11th great-grandchild.
