It sort of seems like the royal family doesn't age. Like, doesn't the Queen feel like she's been old for our entire lifetimes? (Well, she kind of has since she's 94.) Since we see the royals so frequently in photos and videos, we don't notice differences from year to year. It's different to see a picture from the '80s juxtaposed alongside a current one. Only then do we really see just how much the royal family has grown up in front of our eyes.
As we guessed, there are some pretty adorable photos of the royals as babies floating around. Let us just say, it is wild to see the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, and others as children.
Queen Elizabeth II
At 94, Queen Elizabeth II is the world's longest-reigning monarch. But when she was just a baby, in 1926, no one thought she would end up on the throne. She was about as close to the spot as a Princess Beatrice would be, but everything changed when King Edward VIII abdicated. The Queen's dad was next in line, and his untimely death put her on the throne at an early age.
Princess Margaret
There's three powerful royal women in this photo: the Queen Mother — before she was Queen, of course — a young then-Princess Elizabeth, and baby Princess Margaret. It was taken in 1930, long before all three of their lives would change so much with the abdication.
Prince Philip
It's funny to say, because Prince Philip is practically ancient at 99 years old now, but he actually still looks almost exactly the same as this smiling baby. His face really did not change in nine decades. It just has a few more wrinkles now, but the smile is still dead on.
Prince Charles
For the Queen Mother, Prince Charles was her first grandchild and must have been extra special in her eyes. Here, she holds him on his christening day in the same baptism gown that had been used for generations and would go on to be worn by Charles' own grandchildren.
Princess Anne
The Queen had four kids, but only one daughter: Princess Anne. We can't get over how sweet this picture is of Prince Charles giving his little sister a kiss. It actually looks very similar to a photo Kate Middleton took of Princess Charlotte giving baby Prince Louis a kiss.
Prince Edward
Edward is the Queen's youngest son, and he seemed a little skeptical of the whole royal thing in this photo. (It was snapped at the 1965 Trooping the Colour.) For baby Edward, the whole parade and air show was probably loud and overwhelming, but Prince Edward is part of a long tradition of royal children appearing at the annual ceremony.
Princess Diana
It's hard to find photos of Princess Diana as a newborn, but this picture of her as a 2-year-old is pretty cute in its own right. We love her flippy hair and smocked dress. She could just as easily be Princess Charlotte, since Kate Middleton dresses her young daughter in similar clothes, even all these years later. Diana was apparently just destined to be a fashion icon.
Duchess Camilla
Because she didn't become a public figure until much later in life, there aren't any public baby photos of Camilla — but there is this picture of her at age four. Camilla was a bridesmaid in a wedding in 1952, and she looks so cute here. (Such a complex life story ahead of her!) She has no idea what's in store.
Prince William
Prince William was such an adorable baby that it's no surprise he's gone on to create equally cute kids — although Kate Middleton helped with that, too. William was born second in line to the throne, but here he's just a happy regular baby hanging out with his parents.
Kate Middleton
For this past Mother's Day, Kate Middleton shared this sweet snap of her mom, Carole, holding her as a newborn. It's a really tender moment between mother and daughter. Kate really had no idea what her life would hold for her as she was growing up. She had a commoner childhood and just happened to meet and marry a prince.
Prince Harry
In this photo, Harry had just turned one and was learning to crawl all over the floors of Kensington Palace. He was a true '80s baby, and we love his little sailor-inspired outfit from 1985 — and he's always been a fiery redhead. He actually looks a lot like his son Archie here.
Meghan Markle
In this old photo, Meghan's mom, Doria Ragland, holds her as Meghan takes some of her first steps. Like with many of the other royals, Meghan looks very similar today to what she looked like as a child. She has those same bright eyes and beaming smile, only now she's got a baby of her own to hold up. What a difference a few decades make.
The Countess of Wessex
Sophie Wessex isn't a royal by blood since she married the Queen's son Prince Edward, but she feels like such a part of the family. The Royal Family Twitter page even posted this throwback shot a few years ago for her 50th birthday, and we love everything about it. Especially her little duck outfit.
Princess Eugenie
The 1-year-old princess seemed to be having a grand old time at The Windsor Horse Show in 1991. She was hardly even a toddler and already getting to enjoy ice cream. How time flies: Eugenie is married now and could have a little one of her own in the near future.
Princess Beatrice
In 1988, Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew had their first child together: Princess Beatrice. She was such a cute baby. Look at her here in her christening gown. (Fergie looks so proud of her little one.) Now that Beatrice is also married, maybe we'll see her get pregnant soon too.
