It was a year filled with family celebrations as well as state occasions and the daily business of being Head of State. And the past twelve months have produced some rather special and memorable photos of the Queen. As the year winds to its end, here are twelve images that sum up the Queen’s 2018.
Meeting Mr President
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The Queen has seen 13 US Presidents in the Oval Office during her reign and this summer she welcomed the latest incumbent to Windsor Castle. The image of President Donald J Trump appearing to forget where the Queen was is one of the iconic images of the year.
Wedding Joy
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The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh led the royal celebrations in May 2018 when their grandson, Prince Harry, married Meghan Markle. The official portrait of the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex with HM is one for the history books.
Eternal Romance
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We didn’t get that many chances to see the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh together during 2018 as Prince Philip continued to enjoy his retirement but on their rare appearances, here at the Royal Windsor Cup in the spring, their continued delight in each other’s company after more than seven decades together was evident to all.
Catwalk Queen
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The Queen’s sense of style is renowned around the world and she revelled in a visit to London Fashion Week in February.
Looking to the future
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The Queen welcomed Commonwealth leaders to London in April with the Prince of Wales at her side. She told the CHOGM meeting that it was her ”sincere wish” that Prince Charles should follow her as Head of the Commonwealth when he becomes king – the agreement to that was a major moment in 2018 for the Queen on a constitutional and personal level.
Welcoming Meghan to the Firm
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The Queen and the Duchess of Sussex appeared to enjoy every moment of their joint engagement in Chester soon after Meghan became a member of the Royal Family.
Looks familiar
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The Queen was presented with several new portraits of herself during 2018 including this rather wise image from Stuart Brown.
Here Comes the Bride…Again
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Another season, another royal wedding and another moment for us to see the Queen looking really very proud and happy as another grandchild said ‘I do’. The official portrait of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank with the Queen is another classic moment from 2018.
Sparkling State Visit
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There was just one State Visit this year but it was filled with pomp and ceremony as the Queen welcomed the King and Queen of the Netherlands to London where she hosted a glittering State Banquet in their honour.
Remembrance
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The Queen led the nation in commemoration as Remembrance Sunday this year also marked the centenary of the end of World War One.
All the family together
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The Queen was surrounded by her family on her official birthday and her joy was clear to see as they celebrated with crowds who came to see them on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after Trooping the Colour.
Celebrating and looking to the future
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The Queen took part in several events marking the centenary of the RAF in 2018 and clearly loved every second of the summer flypast. There was plenty to smile about in the year and much to look forward to – here’s to another great twelve months to come.
Featured image: Rota / i-Images