Queen Elizabeth Celebrates Her 96th Birthday with Her Most Majestic Photo Ever!

Queen Elizabeth is taking 96 by the reins!

In honor of the Queen's birthday on Thursday, a new portrait of the monarch has been released by the Royal Windsor Horse Show.

The majestic shot, which was taken last month on the grounds of Windsor Castle, shows the Queen standing proudly between her fell ponies, Bybeck Katie and Bybeck Nightingale. She wears a dark green cape-style coat as she holds the reins of two of her favorite ponies in front of a magnolia tree.

Queen Elizabeth will mark her 96th birthday in a place full of reminders of her late husband Prince Philip, who died last April at the age of 99.

On Wednesday, the monarch traveled from Windsor Castle to her Sandringham estate in Norfolk, about 110 miles north of London, Buckingham Palace confirmed. She's believed to be staying at Wood Farm, the cozy five-bedroom home where Philip spent much of his retirement.

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The palace told PEOPLE that the Queen will be spending her birthday privately.

henry dallal photography Queen Elizabeth

Throughout her life, Queen Elizabeth has always had a fondness for horses and was given her first horse (a Shetland pony) when she was just 4 years old. She's also been known to get animated at horse racing events, enthusiastically cheering for her horses.

Geoff Robinson/Splash News Online Queen Elizabeth arrives in Sandringham ahead of her 96th birthday

However, she reportedly hasn't ridden since early September. "She was in quite a bit of discomfort," a source told The Sun in October. "She adores riding, and it has been part of her ritual for most of her life. She has been extremely disappointed not to go riding since the beginning of September."

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Her love of horseback riding has also been passed on to the next generations of royals as well. The Queen's daughter, Princess Anne, became the first British royal to compete in the Olympics when she rode in the equestrian three-day event at the 1976 Games in Montreal. Following in her footsteps, Anne's daughter, Zara Tindall, competed in the 2012 Olympics and won a silver medal as a member of the Great Britain Eventing Team.

The Queen's birthday on Thursday is being celebrated by members of the royal family on social media.

"Wishing Her Majesty The Queen a very happy 96th birthday today! An inspiration to so many across the UK, the Commonwealth and the world, it's particularly special to be celebrating in this #PlatinumJubilee year," Prince William and Kate Middleton shared on their account alongside a family photo of the Queen and Prince Philip with their great-grandchildren.

Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall also shared several photos of the monarch over the years, including a sweet shot of Charles kissing his mother's hand.

"Wishing Her Majesty The Queen a particularly special 96th birthday today, as we celebrate her Platinum Jubilee year," they wrote.

And the Queen's official social media accounts shared a photo of the monarch at just 2 years old.

"Happy Birthday Your Majesty! Today as The Queen turns 96, we're sharing this photograph of the young Princess Elizabeth aged 2. Then, in 1928, it was never expected she would be Queen, and this year Her Majesty is celebrating her #PlatinumJubilee - a first in British history," the caption read.