What The Royal Family Looked Like As Teenagers 》

The Royal Family is like a collection of celebrities that never really go out of style. Every year, you are sure to see faces like Queen Elizabeth and Prince William in newspapers, magazines, and internet articles chronicling their every move.

Of course, the constant flood of royal pictures means that we may forget these princes, princesses, and even the queen were teenagers once. And when you see what they looked like way back when, you may never look at these royals in the papers the same way ever again.

What did the Royal Family look like as teens? Let’s find out together!

Queen Elizabeth

You’ve probably thought of Queen Elizabeth as an old woman since the day you were born. However, Elizabeth was once a playful teen, as we can see from this picture of her at 16 years old in 1942. Just check out that mischievous smile!

Prince Philip

Prince Philip’s final days crystallized his image as an older and venerable member of the Royal Family. But this image shows us a more carefree Philip at 18 years old back in 1939. He was a student at Gordonstoun in Scotland and knew how to rock a charming grin.

Prince Charles

Ever look back at your old middle school photos and cringe really hard? Well, you can stop doing it. Why? Because this picture of 14-year-old Prince Charles shows that nobody takes a good picture at that age. And if the future King of England can look goofy in his teenage photo, so can you.

Princess Anne

We love this 1968 image of Princess Anne because she is clearly a product of her time. At 18 years old, her giant earrings and silk tunic show that she’s not afraid to make a splash amid the nightlife of the swinging sixties.

Prince William

Royals lead such private lives that it’s always special when we can see them in a spontaneous moment. For example, this 1999 picture of 17-year-old Prince William captures the moment that he exited the car after completing his driving test. When the instructor gave the good news, the typically-reserved Prince William punched the air in sheer joy!

Kate Middleton

Global travel has been part of Kate Middleton’s life before she married William. For example, this 2001 photo of a 19-year-old Kate shows some downtime during her Raleigh International expedition trip to Patagonia in Chile during her gap year.

Prince Harry

How’s this for a flashback? This photo shows us 18-year-old Prince Harry in his last year at Eton College. It’s tough not to smile at the now-vintage stereo as well as the photo of his mother, the late Princess Diana.

Meghan Markle

Meghan Markle was an actor before she was a royal, and she has been an actor for a long time. In fact, this throwback photo shows us Meghan smiling alongside Katharine McPhee back when the two acted in musicals together as teenagers!

Princess Diana

We are accustomed to seeing pictures of the adult Diana smiling, even through the pain. But this picture of a 13-year-old Diana on a holiday to Scotland makes it seem like she is all business!

Prince Andrew

Prince Andrew is now disgraced due to his association with Jeffrey Epstein and a nasty lawsuit he had to settle out of court. But we can’t deny the sheer joy of this photo showing a 16-year-old Andrew after he completed his first solo glider flight.

Princess Beatrice and Eugenie

Relative to other royals on this list, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie aren’t really that old. But this 2004 photo of the two, back when Beatrice was 14 and Eugenie was 16, shows us just how much they have grown in recent years.

Prince Edward

Speaking of growing, we can only imagine the 14-year-old Prince Edward in this 1978 photo was looking forward to growing up. How else was he going to lose that baby face?

Zara Tindall

Zara Tindall has a reputation for being a bit more athletic than other royals. She’s not afraid to dress comfy and get down and dirty, especially when practicing her equestrian skills. In this 1995 photo, we can see a 14-year-old chilling out during the Gatcombe Park Horse Trials.

Peter Phillips

Peter Phillips is Queen Elizabeth’s oldest grandchild. She made a special visit in 1991 to go see him at Port Regis Prep School in Dorset. He was only 13 at the time, and this photo perfectly captures his awkward attempt to smile like the world is watching.

Lady Gabriella Windsor

It’s not every day that a 16-year-old girl gets to join the Queen and other major royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony for Trooping the Colour. So when young Lady Gabriella Windsor did so, she wore a formal outfit complete with a matching outfit and somber face.