Here’s What The Royals Looked Like The Year You Were Born

The world can’t get enough of the British royals. Are you a fan of The Crown, the prestige drama following the early years of Queen Elizabeth II and her family? That’s all well and good, but the real thing is even more interesting. We can track the evolution of the royal family since before Elizabeth even came into it. But what did they look like the year you were born?

1920

Once upon a time, before color photography was common, the major royals gathered for a picture. Here we have, from left to right, the future King George VI, Princess Mary, the future King Edward VIII, Prince Harry (but not that Prince Harry), Queen Mary, and King George V. Yep, royals just absolutely love to pass names down the family line.

1922

This rather stiff and formal-looking picture is from a royal wedding: the marriage of Princess Mary to Lord Henry Lascelles. You might recollect those two from the movie version of Downton Abbey? With them in the picture are Queen Mary and King George V. Despite how things look it was a happy occasion, the first big royal wedding since the end of World War I.

1924

Being a king comes with perks, obviously. Here’s George V steering his yacht, which bore the appropriate name of Britannia, at Cowes Regatta Week in England. Sadly, Britannia is no more, because, on his deathbed, King George requested that his beloved boat not outlive him. So, it was sunk in the ocean around the Isle of Wight. Strange but true.

1926

The future Queen herself was born in April 1926. This carefully posed photograph was taken not long afterwards, when her mother Elizabeth, Duchess of York, showed her off to the world. At the time, the elder Elizabeth didn’t know that her daughter might be queen one day. After all, no one could have foreseen the 1936 abdication that changed the line of succession.