This year, Elizabeth II did not allow herself to be photographed with her possible heirs to the throne, Princes Charles, William and George, or her meanwhile twelve great-grandchildren.

Rather, the Queen appeared alongside two of her fur ponies, Bybeck Katie and Bybeck Nightingale.

The robust breed of pony from the northern English Fell Mountains is characterized, among other things, by an often lush covering of fetlocks.

The picture was taken in the grounds of Windsor Castle last month and was released on Thursday to mark the 96th birthday of the monarch at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, which has been held annually since 1943 and has been attended by horse lover Elisabeth year after year.

The Queen herself was already on her way to her country home, Sandringham House in Norfolk,

that belongs to her privately.

There she wanted to celebrate her birthday with her family and friends.

Peter Philipp Schmitt

Editor in the department "Germany and the World".

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The Queen is particularly fond of Sandringham, also because she associates many memories with the place: Her father George VI.

loved the property, he also died there in February 1952. And there, in a rather small farmhouse, the Wood Farm, her husband Prince Philip spent his last years before he died last spring.

Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, was the last to grow truffles on the farm.

Exactly there, it is assumed, the now ninety-six year old spent yesterday.

Healthy despite old age

Elizabeth II is only the third monarch in the history of the kingdom to live past the age of 80.

Only her great-great-grandmother Victoria, who sat on the throne for a good 63 years, and King George III.

(a good 59 years) both lived to be 81 years old.

But Elisabeth outshines them all and celebrates her platinum anniversary in the summer.

If her talkative grandson Harry is to be believed, who regularly advertises his no-longer-royal existence in what are likely to be well-paid television interviews, his grandmother is doing great.

He particularly praised her sense of humor on Wednesday's NBC show, claiming that there are certain things she can only talk to him about that she can't talk to anyone else about.

When he visited her a few days ago, he also wanted to make sure that she was protected and had the right people around her.

She is said to have invited Harry and his wife Meghan to appear with her and the family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for their anniversary this summer.

So far this year, Elisabeth has made herself rare, also because she was infected with Corona in February.

Only once has she appeared in public outside of one of her residences, at the memorial service in her husband Philip's honor at Westminster Abbey.