--- title: A Suprisingly Silly Moment Between Queen Elizabeth, Charles & Anne description: The 28-year-old Queen is seen grinning from ear-to-ear canonical: https://time.com/4004413/palace-queen-elizabeth-prince-charles/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-08-20T10:52:04.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:48:14.218Z og:title: A Suprisingly Silly Moment Between Queen Elizabeth, Charles & Anne og:description: The 28-year-old Queen is seen grinning from ear-to-ear og:url: https://time.com/4004413/palace-queen-elizabeth-prince-charles/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: A Suprisingly Silly Moment Between Queen Elizabeth, Charles & Anne twitter:description: The 28-year-old Queen is seen grinning from ear-to-ear twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Royals Tweet a Suprisingly Silly Moment Between Young Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Princess Anne > Sponsored content. 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It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=65578fa4-ab4b-4f78-adcb-2fbe3cbe566d&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Daily | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Richard Hall, Editor | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The informed consumer. A scaled audience of readers who turn to TIME to stay informed and make sense of the world, with meaningful reach across education and research, nonprofits and civic life, media and communications, government and public institutions, and business and professional services. ### TIME The Brief: key statements * The Brief is edited by TIME journalists. 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It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ## Video: The British Royals Through TIME [Watch (HLS stream): The British Royals Through TIME](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/OcXH1xum.m3u8) (3:32)  _Published 2011-04-29. Deputy managing editor Michael Elliott takes us on a tour of TIME’s coverage of all things royal from 1923 to today_ by [Erin Hill / People](https://time.com/author/people/) ## Erin Hill / People Contributor Aug 20, 2015 10:52 AM UTC by [Erin Hill / People](https://time.com/author/people/) ## Erin Hill / People Contributor Aug 20, 2015 10:52 AM UTC Even when your mom is the Queen, childhood can still be (occasionally!) silly. A rare moment between a young [Queen Elizabeth](http://www.people.com/people/news/category/0,,personsTax:QueenElizabethII,00.html) and her two laughing children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, was shared in a [tweet by Buckingham Palace](https://twitter.com/BritishMonarchy/status/633978949257818112) Wednesday. The picture, which dates back to 1954, shows the Queen, who was around 28 years old at the time, with an ear-to-ear smile alongside her two eldest children. And the monarch (or royal photographer Marcus Adams) must have told a royally funny joke, as Charles, who was around 7 years old, and Anne, who was around 4, can’t control their laughter! > [](https://twitter.com/BritishMonarchy/status/633978949257818112) The stylish trio dressed up for the occasion, with the Queen in a gorgeous dress and beautiful pearls that adorably match her daughter’s delicate necklace. And it seems Anne was already following in her mother’s [purse-carrying footsteps](http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20395222%5F20936663,00.html)! The young princess is seen clutching a small blue bag. (Queen Elizabeth’s black handbag turned up like an honored guest in [Princess Charlotte’s official christening portraits](http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20395222%5F20936663,00.html) last month.) Not to be outdone, Charles sports a pair of [familiar-looking red shorts](http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20395222%5F20943248,00.html). A possible future hand-me-down to his younger brother Prince Andrew! [_This article originally appeared on People.com_](http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20395222%5F20946331,00.html) ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] Almost from the time of our first issue, Time has been fascinated by the British Royal Family. In Issue number ten, we mark the marriage of the Duke of York to Elizabeth Bowes- Lyon. He became the wartime King George VI, she the Queen [ INAUDIBLE ]. Who died only in 2002, aged 101. [ MUSIC ] Inevitably, time was rivtited by the abdication crisis in 1936. When Edward the eighth gave up the throne so that he could marry the woman he loved, a twice- divorced American from Baltimore called Wallis Simpson. At the end of the year, indeed, Time made Simpson our woman of the year. The first time that the accolade had gone to a woman. Although the piece was rather catty. Simpson we said had resolved early to make men her career and in 40 years reached the top or almost. Beyond they were together at last. Bravely they faced an unknown future. [ MUSIC ] After World War II was over Britain entered a period of austerity and penny pinching. Lifted by the wedding of Princess Elizabeth now the Queen to Prince Phillip. We noted that she had saved ration coupons to pay for her wedding dress. The young couple happily shared. The supreme day of their lives with their countrymen. Five years later, Elizabeth became queen. And time made her its woman of the year. [ MUSIC ] She was we said, a fresh young blossom on roots that had weathered many a season of wintry doubt. We don't write them like that anymore. The British, we continued [ INAUDIBLE ] their young queen a reminder of a great past and dare to hope that she might be an omen of a great future. Then there was the wedding of the century. Okay, the last entry. When a 20 year old innocent, named Diana Spencer, married the Prince of Wales, bringing light to a dark period of British life. [ SOUND ] What a dame she looks. Now there's a bride any man would be happy to see. Coming down the aisle, towards him. [ MUSIC ] 16 years later, Diana's story ended in tragedy. With her death in a Paris car crash, and her funeral a week later, transfixed the world. Through it all the queen mom had remained a constant in the world's understanding of the royals. When she died at last, an era had passed. Now, with William and Kate's wedding, a whole new chapter in the royal saga begins. How will they handle the media spotlight? Because rest assured, it will beam on them brightly. This is Michael Elliot on Royal Wedding Day for time. com. 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