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Royal family release unseen pictures of Duke of Edinburgh surrounded by great-grandchildren

Watch: Touching photos of Philip, the Queen and their family

Until now it had remained a cherished family photograph, unseen by the rest of the world.

Showing the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh surrounded by seven of their great-grandchildren at Balmoral Castle, the precious image had been kept under wraps.

But Prince Philip's death at the age of 99 on Friday has prompted the 94-year-old monarch to open the treasured royal family album in memory of a beloved patriarch.

The image, taken by the Duchess of Cambridge in 2018, shows the Queen holding baby Prince Louis in her arms as she sits between his brother Prince George, now seven, and sister Princess Charlotte, five.

prince philip with great grandchildren latest picture -  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
prince philip with great grandchildren latest picture - The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Peter Phillips' daughter Savannah, 10, their eldest great-grandchild, stands behind the couple as her younger sister Isla, nine, cradles their cousin Lena, the two-year-old daughter of Zara and Mike Tindall, whose eldest Mia, seven, flanks them and seemingly stifles a giggle.

Speaking a thousand words about the Queen and the Duke's close bond with the youngest members of the House of Windsor, the image captures the relaxed mood as the children visited Great Granny and Grandpa in Scotland that summer. It was taken almost a year before the Duke and Duchess of Sussexes' son Archie, their eighth great-grandchild, was born.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also issued their own separate photograph, taken three years earlier at Balmoral, showing the Queen and the Duke posing with an infant George and baby Charlotte.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with the Queen and Prince Philip and Prince George and Princess Charlotte in a 2015 photo taken at Balmoral - The Duchess of Cambridge
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with the Queen and Prince Philip and Prince George and Princess Charlotte in a 2015 photo taken at Balmoral - The Duchess of Cambridge

The post on the Kensington Palace Instagram page read: "Today we share, along with members of @theroyalfamily, photographs of The Duke of Edinburgh, remembering him as a father, grandfather and great-grandfather."

The Prince of Wales also joined the trip down memory lane, posting two images on social media. The first, a black and white shot, shows the Duke and his then 17-year-old son playing polo together in 1966. Charles passed on his inherited love of the sport to Princes William and Harry.

Prince Philip and a young Charles on horseback playing polo in 1966
Prince Philip and a young Charles on horseback playing polo in 1966

A second photograph showed Philip with Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, at the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding in 2011.

The pictures were captioned: "Remembering The Duke of Edinburgh as a much-loved Father and Father-in-Law."

Philip with Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, at the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding in 2011 - @RoyalFamily
Philip with Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, at the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding in 2011 - @RoyalFamily

The charming images were published after Princess Eugenie became the third of the Queen and the Duke's grandchildren to pay tribute to their "dearest Grandpa", promising to look after "Granny" in his absence.

In February, she gave birth to the couple’s ninth great grandchild, August Philip Hawke Brooksbank.

Mrs Tindall gave birth to their 10th last month when Lucas Philip Tindall – also named after the Duke – was born on the bathroom floor of the couple's Gloucestershire home last month. Unfortunately, Philip did not manage to meet either of the new additions.

Harry and Meghan’s second child, a girl, is due this summer.

Buckingham Palace contributed a picture of the Duke with the Duke of Sussex at the Trooping of the Colour in 2014
Buckingham Palace contributed a picture of the Duke with the Duke of Sussex at the Trooping of the Colour in 2014

The great-grandchildren, who are thought to refer to the Queen as "Gan Gan", will not be attending the funeral on Saturday.

As the Royals prepare for the 3pm ceremony at St George's Chapel, Windsor, they have been described as a family in mourning who are "united" in support of Her Majesty.

Watch: The wonderful life of Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh