The Queen shared a baby photo of Prince William for his 40th birthday and it's too cute

The Queen has shared a baby photo of Prince William for his 40th birthday alongside plenty more adorable snaps as he celebrates his special day.  

• Her Majesty has taken to social media to share a detailed post in honour of the Duke of Cambridge’s milestone birthday. 
• Fans were left delighted by the series of personal pictures shared by the monarch and they included a very sweet baby photo. 
• This royal news comes as we revealed why the Queen might not be seen in public again for months. 

Whenever members of The Firm share heartfelt birthday tributes, fans across the world are always delighted to see the sweet photos and emotional messages carefully chosen for the occasion. Just a few weeks ago messages were posted to celebrate Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s daughter Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor turning one by Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Now Prince William’s own milestone birthday has been honoured in a very special way by Her Majesty.

In tribute to Prince William’s 40th birthday, the Royal Family Twitter accounts have now shared a detailed post featuring pictures from throughout his life. And it even included one of the earliest baby photos!

“Happy Birthday to The Duke of Cambridge!” the first caption declared. “As the second in line to the throne turns 40, learn more about His Royal Highness”.

The thread then went on to transport fans back to William’s childhood, sharing his birth announcement alongside the iconic picture of a beaming Prince Charles and Princess Diana as they introduced the future King to the world.

Revealing even William’s exact time of birth, the caption shared, “Prince William Arthur Philip Louis is the elder son of The Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales. He was born at 9.03pm on 21 June 1982, at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, London.”

This adorable snapshot of such a precious family moment has been recreated down the generations, with each of William’s children having a similar first photo with their parents. And it was followed by several equally heartfelt photos of William and the Queen over the years.

This ranged from Her Majesty standing proudly alongside him as he graduated from the University of St Andrews where William and Kate’s love story began, to a photo of the monarch and her grandson during his time as a Search and Rescue Pilot.

This trip down memory lane from his birth to the recently-released Father’s Day photo, which had people all saying the same thing about Prince Louis, showcased the monarch’s incredible bond with William. 

It also remarked upon his public and official duties as a senior royal and fans were quick to express their excitement at the tribute. 

“Love this thread so much!!! Happiest of birthdays to our future King- we love you Wills!” one person wrote joyfully.

“Brilliant thread!” another person agreed as a third replied, “A fitting tribute to the most excellent Duke of Cambridge. Happy birthday to a lovely, gorgeous, wonderful Prince of a man.”

“What a great thread! I wish Prince William a very happy birthday with family and friends!” someone else commented.

It’s not known how exactly the Duke is spending his birthday, though it’s been suggested that the Queen could help Kate and William celebrate together. The Duchess of Cambridge turned 40 in January 2022 and some have claimed plans are underway for a joint party. 

But no matter how Prince William has chosen to celebrate turning 40, the Queen's baby photo tribute and all the other throwback snaps were a lovely way to publicly honour this special occasion.