<br><div><aside class="gnt_em gnt_em__fp gnt_em_vp__tp gnt_em__el" aria-label="Video - Queen Elizabeth II is the first in the country's history to reach 70 years on the throne"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><a target="_blank" href="/picture-gallery/life/2015/09/08/queen-elizabeth-turns-92-marking-66-years-on-the-throne/32346583/" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">Queen Elizabeth II</a> is celebrating her 96th birthday in good company. </p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Ahead of the queen's birthday on Thursday, The Royal Windsor Horse show shared a new portrait of the monarch Wednesday evening. </p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">"Taken last month in the grounds of Windsor Castle, The Queen is pictured with two of her fell ponies, Bybeck Katie and Bybeck Nightingale," wrote the <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1516884582532104192" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">official account for The Royal Family on Twitter.</a> </p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">In the photo, the queen stands proudly between Bybeck Katie and Bybeck Nightingale, donning a forest green cape-style coat while holding the reins of her two ponies. </p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">"Happy Birthday Your Majesty!" the tweet concluded. </p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><a target="_blank" href="/story/entertainment/celebrities/2022/04/14/prince-harry-duchess-meghan-visit-queen-elizabeth-invictus-games/7324229001/" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a"><strong>Prince Harry, Duchess Meghan</strong> visit with Queen Elizabeth II on their way to Invictus Games</a></p><figure class="gnt_em gnt_em_img"><img class="gnt_em_img_i" style="height:440px" data-g-r="lazy" src="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2022/04/21/USAT/cee37ac7-f211-44f4-8073-58a659119282-1240115153.jpg?width=660&height=440&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp" srcset="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2022/04/21/USAT/cee37ac7-f211-44f4-8073-58a659119282-1240115153.jpg?width=1320&height=880&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp 2x" decoding="async" alt="Queen Elizabeth II holds her fell ponies, Bybeck Nightingale (right) and Bybeck Katie."/></figure><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">In the days leading up to her birthday, the queen has spent some quality time with her grandson Prince Harry and his wife, Duchess Meghan of Sussex. </p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Last Thursday, the two visited Queen Elizabeth for the first time in two years <a target="_blank" href="/story/entertainment/celebrities/2022/04/14/prince-harry-duchess-meghan-visit-queen-elizabeth-invictus-games/7324229001/" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">during their visit to the United Kingdom ahead of the fifth Invictus Games</a>. </p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">In an interview Wednesday with the "Today" show, Harry spoke fondly about reuniting his grandmother. "Being with her, it was great," he said. "It was just so nice to see her."</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">"She’s on great form," Harry said of his grandmother, who suffered a bout of COVID-19 in February. The queen has also been experiencing mobility problems and cutting back on public duties after spending a night in the hospital last fall.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><strong class="gnt_ar_b_al">More:</strong><a target="_blank" href="/story/entertainment/celebrities/2022/03/07/queen-elizabeth-justin-trudeau-meeting-windsor-castle-after-covid/9408660002/" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|spike click:12|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">Queen Elizabeth II holds first in-person meeting since...</a></p></div> <style> .wrapper { text-align: center; } </style> <div class="wrapper"> <a class="button" href ="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2022/04/20/queen-elizabeth-celebrates-96th-birthday-see-the-photo/7391772001/">Read more <span>➤</span></a> </div>
