Prince William and Kate pay tribute to late Queen Elizabeth on her 97th birthday

The royal family have paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth on what would have been her 97th birthday.

The monarch died in September at the age of 96 and her relatives have remembered her in touching posts on Instagram seven months on.

Today, Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales released a previously unseen picture of the late Queen surrounded by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren which was taken by the princess at the Balmoral estate in Scotland last summer.

In the post, the royal couple wrote: “Today would have been Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s 97th birthday. This photograph - showing her with some of her grandchildren and great grandchildren - was taken at Balmoral last summer.”

The picture shows the late Queen with Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex - whose parents are Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh - as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales’ kids Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Also included were Zara and Mike Tindall’s three children - Lena, Lucas and Mia Tindall - as well as Peter Phillips’ daughters Isla and Savannah Phillips.

Queen Elizabeth died just weeks after the poignant picture was taken.

Another post was released on the official Royal Family page on Friday, April 21, read: “Today we remember the incredible life and legacy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, on what would have been her 97th birthday.

“When Her Majesty was born in April 1926, Princess Elizabeth and her family did not expect that she would one day become Queen. Following the abdication of her uncle King Edward VIII in 1936, her father acceded to the throne.

“When King George VI died in February 1952, Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II when she was just 25. Her Majesty went on to be Britain’s longest reigning Monarch - the only one in history to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee. You can find out more about Queen Elizabeth II’s life and legacy on our website ... "