Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating her 96th birthday by paying tribute to her late husband, Prince Philip, and her lifelong love of horses.
The Royal Windsor Horse Show has unveiled a new birthday portrait of the monarch, taken by renowned landscape photographer Henry Dalal, who has previously photographed the Queen and her horses.
The portrait depicts the Queen standing between two fallen ponies, Bybek Katie and Bybek Nightingale, in the grounds of Windsor Castle. She is wearing a deep moss green coat and holding the reins of a pony.
The color appears to be a subtle homage to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who died last year at the age of 99. The green, known as ‘Edinburgh Green’, is closely associated with her late husband, who was known for using the shade in his livery and other public affairs.
Queen Elizabeth II wore the collar at Prince Philip’s memorial service in March, and other members of the royal family have also worn it, including Princess Anne and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip observe horses at Balmoral House in 1972.
The monarch’s passion for equestrianism was well-documented throughout her reign, and she was seen riding horses many times, even into her 90s.
According to reports, she once talked about her favorite sport. ITV Documentary, “I’m more of a fair-weather rider now. I don’t like being cold and wet.”
Camilla also reportedly said, “No one can ride a horse at the age of 90, so she was amazed to see her mother-in-law’s physical strength, and thought that was what was so great about her.”
As Deputy Editor of HarpersBAZAAR.com, Chelsea stays on top of all things celebrity news. She also writes about social movements, connecting with activists leading fights on things like worker rights and climate justice. Offline, she’s probably spending too much time on her TikTok, revisiting Emma (her 2020 version, of course), or buying yet another corset.
