There’s been another royal birthday after Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan celebrated turning 30 on Thursday. In honour of her special day, we’ve taken a trip down memory lane to revisit other members of royalty when they reached their milestone birthday. From the Duchess of Cambridge to the Countess of Wessex and even Prince Philip, let’s take a look to see what they looked like when they were Jetsun Pema’s age…
Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan
Her Majesty Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck released this beautiful photograph in commemoration of her 30th birthday on 4 June 2020.
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Kate Middleton
The Duchess of Cambridge turned 30 on 9 January 2012 – her first birthday since her wedding to Prince William – and despite the milestone, she kept her celebrations simple. “(She) had a quiet gathering with family and friends,” a palace aide said. “The dinner was held within private quarters at one of the properties situated by their home at Kensington Palace.”
King Felipe
King Felipe of Spain celebrated his 30th birthday on 30 January 1998. The now 52-year-old still looks fantastic and has kept his signature beard, although it’s now grey instead of the dark brown he sported in his youth.
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Meghan Markle
The Duchess of Sussex celebrated her milestone birthday on 4 August 2011, long before she met now-husband Prince Harry. Meghan was still an actress at this point and was in the middle of a press tour for her TV show Suits, so no doubt enjoyed a few drinks with her co-stars.
King Willem-Alexander
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands celebrated his 30th birthday on 27 April 1997. His special day is actually marked by all and has been dubbed King’s Day. The event celebrates the reigning monarch’s birthday and typically sees people enjoy markets, outdoor games and parties. Of course, the king himself visits one or several cities with his family to mark the occasion.
Prince Charles
Buckingham Palace released a photo of Prince Charles to mark his 30th birthday on 14 November 1978. The image showed Charles wearing a kilt while posing on a gate at Balmoral Castle, in Scotland, with one of his beloved dogs.
Prince Carl Philip
Prince Carl Philip of Sweden looks so different without his facial hair! The royal turned 30 on 13 May 2009 and appears to have just gotten better with age.
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Prince Harry
The Duke of Sussex turned 30 on 15 September 2014, during the Invictus Games in London. However, he later hosted a bash at Clarence House which turned out to be a small star-studded affair. Famous faces reported to be on the 30-person guest list included William and Harry’s close friend Guy Pelly – who owns a string of London nightclubs – and his former girlfriends Cressida Bonas and Chelsy Davy
Prince Edward
The Queen’s son Prince Edward appeared to have a rather lavish affair to celebrate his 30th in 1994. While his birthday is 10 March, the royal enjoyed a star-studded party at The Savoy in London on 16 March, which was attended by his mother.
Prince William
The Duke of Cambridge became £10million richer when he turned 30 on 21 June 2012, after inheriting the sum from his late mother, Princess Diana. The Queen also gifted her grandson with the Order of the Thistle, the highest honour in Scotland.
Prince Philip
The Duke of Edinburgh celebrated his 30th birthday in Turkey, on assignment with the Royal Navy, on June 10 1951. He is photographed here water skiing during the Mediterranean Fleet’s summer cruise – Prince Philip’s last cruise on HMS Magpie before he returned to the United Kingdom in August.
The Countess of Wessex
Sophie Wessex was head of her own public relations firm, RJH Public Relations, when she turned 30 on 20 January 1995. She was dating Prince Edward at the time, having met at the tennis in 1993.
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The Queen
The Queen turned 30 years old on 21 April 1956, just three years after her coronation took place at Westminster Abbey. It’s nice to see her love of a power suit and chic handbags is still going strong all these years later.
Princess Anne
This photo proves that Princess Anne has always had a flair for fashion. The Queen’s daughter celebrated her 30th birthday in August 1980, with a photo of Anne at Gatcombe being released to mark the occasion.
Princess Madeleine
Princess Madeleine of Sweden had a four-day fiesta for her 30th birthday in June 2012. She enjoyed lunch with her big sister Crown Princess Victoria in Stockholm’s chic Djurgarden district. She had a party with friends and her parents King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia and wrapped things up with a reception at Drottningholm Palace.
Prince Frederik
Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark is another Danish royal who has barely aged a day! The now-52-year-old still looks as fresh-faced as he did when he celebrated his big 3-0 on 26 May 1998.
Crown Princess Victoria
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden celebrated her 30th birthday at her family’s summer residence Solliden Palace in July 2007. Royal fans lined the streets to get a glimpse of Victoria as she enjoyed a walkabout with her parents, King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia. She was showered with gifts and even wore a flower crown to greet her adoring public.
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