The late Queen Elizabeth II was not only the nation’s longest-reigning monarch but also a doting grandmother to her eight grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, a role she cherished deeply.

Her commitment to her royal duties was known across the world, yet it was her profound affection for her family that often warmed the hearts of the public, as seen in intimate photos and anecdotes from those who knew her best, reports the Mirror.

Princess Kate has opened up about the special bond between the Queen and her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, with George affectionately referring to his great-grandmother as ‘Gan-Gan’.

In the touching 2016 documentary ‘Our Queen at 90’, which followed the birth of Princess Charlotte, Kate revealed: “It’s very special us having a new little girl to the family. Very lucky that George has got a little sister.

“The Queen, she was really thrilled that it was a little girl and I think as soon as we came back here to Kensington [Palace] she was one of our first visitors here.

“I think she’s very fond of Charlotte, always watching what she’s up to. George is only two and a half and calls her ‘gan-gan.’ She always leaves a little gift or something in their room when we go and stay and that just shows, I think, her love for her family.”

Kate also reminisced about the warmth and kindness the Queen showed her personally, highlighting their first official engagement together in March 2019, which she recalled during the same programme.

“The most memorable engagement for me I suppose was an away day to Leicester and I went without William so I was rather apprehensive about that,” she revealed.

“I think there is a real art to walkabouts, everyone teases me in the family that I spend far too long chatting so I think I’ve still got to learn a little bit more and pick up a few more tips I suppose.”

Speaking of the Queen, she expressed: “She was very supportive. The fact she took the time to make sure that I was happy and looked after for that particular occasion, which probably in everything that she’s doing is a very small element, which just shows how caring she is, really.”

The late monarch also shared a delightful interaction with Prince William and Kate’s youngest son, Prince Louis, on the Buckingham Palace balcony during the Platinum Jubilee flypast in 2022.

Lip reading expert Jeremy Freeman caught young Louis saying “woah” to his mother.

He then turned to his great-grandmother, asking, “Are the Red Arrows coming?”, to which the Queen replied affectionately, “I hope so.”

As the roar of jets filled the air, Louis waved at the pilots, covered his ears, and pulled a comical face, much to the amusement of the crowd.

Body language expert Judi James has suggested that Prince Louis and the Queen displayed a mutual “childlike excitement” during their balcony appearance. Speaking to the Daily Mail, she observed: “Louis stepped in front of the Queen before tilting his head back to engage her in some animated conversation as they waited for the Red Arrows.”

“Louis made this conversation seem like the most natural thing in the world and his lack of anything resembling fear suggested these two might share a rather close friendship based on shared fun behind the scenes, too.”