We all go through an awkward phase while growing up, as the best pictures of royals as teenagers prove. Palaces and fancy titles aside, it can take a little while to find your feet - and, unfortunately, some end up having to do that in front of the world on the Buckingham Palace balcony or in widely-circulated family portraits.
From Prince Charles and Princess Anne on an official engagement at Westminster Abbey to Prince William and Prince Harry posing at a Highgrove photocall, the royals get to grips with the family business as early as their teens. However, away from official duties, we also see them come of age while doing the most ordinary of activities - like jetting off skiing, attending grandparents' 80th birthday parties and enjoying a day out at the horse show.
Let us take you on a trip down memory lane to see how the royals - from Prince Philip and King Charles, to Princess Diana and Prince William - fared as teens. You won't believe how fresh-faced they look...
The best pictures of royals as teenagers that you need to see
1. Prince William and Prince Harry at Highgrove
Prince William and Prince Harry were respectfully given plenty of opportunity to grow up out of the spotlight after Princess Diana's 1997 death. However, they still took part in photocalls, posing as teens with their father Prince Charles at Highgrove House in 1999.
2. Princess Anne and Prince Charles at Westminster Abbey
As teenagers, Princess Anne and Prince Charles were already supporting the family by taking part in official engagements. The pair attended a special service marking the 900th anniversary of the consecration of London's Westminster Abbey in 1965.
3. Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle
During the Second World War, the royal family stayed safe at Windsor Castle where they helped with the war effort. Queen Elizabeth - then a teenage princess - was pictured riding her bike on the grounds in 1942, in between fixing and driving trucks.
4. Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice at the polo
Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice are just 21 months apart in age and were often seen hanging out together as teenagers. The daughters of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson were all dressed up to attend the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup Polo Final in 2005.
5. David Armstring-Jones, Lady Sarah Chatto and Prince Edward at Buckingham Palace
Of Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret's children, the youngest were David and Sarah Armstrong-Jones as well as Prince Edward. The teenage cousins joined the rest of the family for a portrait at Buckingham Palace in 1980.
6. Prince Harry at Eton
Shortly before he departed from Eton, a smartly dressed Prince Harry welcomed photographers into his bedroom at the boarding school in 2003. After leaving, he spent some time travelling before enrolling at Sandhurst ahead of joining the army.
7. Princess Margaret at Windsor Castle
While her sister - the future Queen Elizabeth - was helping with the war effort, Princess Margaret was too young to perform official duties when fighting broke out. However, she was in her teens by the time the fighting ended - and she posed for a photo with her older sibling just outside Windsor Castle in 1946.
8. Zara Tindall at Gatcombe Park
Princess Anne's daughter Zara Tindall was always going to love horses if her Olympian mother had anything to do with it. The teenager was spotted, casually dressed, picking up refreshments at Gatcombe Park Horse Trials in 1995.
9. Prince Philip at Gordonstoun
After being born into exile on the island of Corfu, Prince Philip - who was a member of the Greek and Danish royal families - was educated at Gordonstoun. He was pictured as a teen playing cricket at the Scottish school in 1939.
10. Lady Louise Windsor at the Royal Windsor Horse Show
Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Cambridge's daughter Lady Louise Windsor was one of Queen Elizabeth's youngest grandchildren. She was seen as a teen attending the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2018.
11. Princess Anne at Windsor Great Park
While Princess Anne may have dressed up for official occasions, like any other teenager in the 1960s she was embracing an off-duty look in her downtime. She wore a checked shirt and jeans to watch her father Prince Philip play polo near Windsor in 1967.
12. Prince Edward and Prince Andrew at Balmoral
In 1979, just two of the Queen's children were still teenagers - Prince Edward and Prince Andrew. The brothers were pictured at Balmoral Castle, the royals' Scottish residence, with the rest of their family in 1979.
13. James, Earl of Wessex at Sandringham
Queen Elizabeth's youngest grandchild is James, Earl of Wessex. The teenage son of Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Cambridge joined the rest of the royal family for a church service at the Sandringham on Christmas morning in 2023.
14. Lady Sarah Chatto at the royal wedding
One of the five bridesmaids at Princess Diana's high-profile wedding to Prince Charles in 1981 was his cousin, the future Lady Sarah Chatto. The teenage daughter of Princess Margaret and Anthony Armstrong-Jones walked down the aisle behind the bride at the St Paul's Cathedral nuptials.
15. Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret sitting for a portrait
A year before the end of the Second World War in 1944, the royal princesses sat for a portrait with the Queen Mother. The teenagers appeared to be following in her footsteps with a penchant for tea dresses and pearls - a look they both continued to embrace for decades to come.
16. Princess Beatrice at Prince Philip's 80th birthday
A teenage Princess Beatrice looked stylish in a lilac skirt suit in 2000. The daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson was dressed up to attend her grandfather Prince Philip's 80th birthday service at St George's Chapel, Windsor.
17. Princess Diana in Pimlico
Princess Diana was just 19 years old when her romance with Prince Charles began to blossom in 1980. She was pictured that same year at the nursery school in Pimlico, London where she worked - just months before the couple's 1981 engagement and wedding.
18. Prince William at VJ Day
Prince William was a young teen during some of his final public appearances with his mother Princess Diana. He attended VJ Day 50th anniversary celebrations with her, and his younger brother Prince Harry, in London in 1995.
19. Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie at royal wedding
In 2005, Prince Charles married Camilla Parker-Bowles at The Guildhall, Windsor Castle. In addition to his sons, there were numerous royal family members in attendance - including teenage sisters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
20. Prince Andrew in Calgary
The future King Charles seemed rather amused by his teenage brother's silliness as they were both pictured wearing cowboy hats and bolo ties at an engagement in 1977. They had stopped off in Calgary during a royal tour of Canada.
21. Prince Harry at Trooping the Colour
Prince Harry joined the rest of the royal family, including Prince William and Queen Elizabeth, on the Buckingham Palace balcony for Trooping the Colour in 2003. The teenager had just finished at Eton and was about to spend time travelling around Africa, Australia and South America.
22. Princess Diana at the races
In 1980, Princess Diana was still in her teens when romance began to blossom between her and Prince Charles. She was pictured that year at Ludlow Races, where he was competing, along with his friend - the future Queen Camilla, who would go on to become his second wife.
23. Peter Phillips at Port Regis School
Queen Elizabeth was given a tour of Port Regis School in 1991 by her grandson Peter Phillips, who was a pupil there along with his sister Zara. The teenager is the son of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips.
24. Prince Harry skiing in Klosters
Prince Harry was an enthusiastic skier in his late teens. He visited Klosters, Switzerland along with his older brother Prince William and father Prince Charles in 2002, where the trio posed on the slopes for the cameras.
25. Lady Gabriella Windsor at Trooping the Colour
Lady Gabriella Windsor was in her mid-teens when she attended Trooping the Colour in 1997 and joined the rest of the royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony. She is the daughter of Prince Michael of Kent - the first cousin of Queen Elizabeth.
26. Prince William at Eton
In 2000, Prince William became one of 21 elected prefects at Eton - and posed for a photo to mark the occasion. After leaving the school, he went on to study geography at the University of St Andrews in Scotland.
27. Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice at Trooping the Colour
The teenage York sisters were among the royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony for Trooping the Colour in 2007. At the time, Princess Beatrice was finishing up her studies at St George's School while Princess Eugenie was attending Marlborough College.
28. Prince Charles at the polo
As a teenager, Prince Charles was a big fan of playing polo. The future king was pictured on horseback representing Windsor at a game in Cheshire in 1967, where his team ultimately emerged triumphant.
29. Queen Mother sitting for a portrait
The Queen Mother walked down the aisle with the future King George VI in 1923. Before that, the then-Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon lived with her family in Hertfordshire, sitting for a portrait as a teenager in 1916.
30. Prince Philip at Gordonstoun
Prince Philip is said to have cherished his time boarding at Gordonstoun. While attending the Scottish school, he participated in theatre productions and was pictured in costume for his role as Donalbane in Macbeth in 1935.
31. Princess Anne at Sandringham
Princess Anne met her first husband Captain Mark Phillips - whom she would go on to wed in 1973 - when she was in her late teens. As romance was blossoming, Queen Elizabeth's daughter posed for a photo on the Sandringham Estate in 1970.
32. Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice in Verbier
From a young age, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice hit the slopes of Verbier in Switzerland with their parents. The teenagers posed for photos at the ski resort with their mother Sarah Ferguson in 2003.
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