Royal photos of the week

Another week, another few thousand royal images to remember the seven days by. But, as always, a handful stand out, the ones that will go down in the history books to tell the tale of the week that just was. As July moves on towards its midway point, here are the five best royal photos of one of its hottest and sunniest weeks. And it starts with what will surely be one of the most memorable moments of the royal year. Prince Philip, now 94, became impatient with a photographer taking a portrait of him and other members of the Royal Family at a commemoration for the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. He asked him to hurry up but added another word, his now famous F-bomb, and the moment he began to utter it was caught on TV cameras including those of ITV.

He had starred in another, slightly more genteel image the day before when he appeared in the official christening photos of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge. The portaits of his great granddaughter, taken by Mario Testino, were released on Twitter and Instagram and proved an instant hit. The papers led with the family of four image but the group photo, taken inside Sandringham House, is the one the history books will remember.

We got a holiday family pose from the Belgian royal family this week as King Philippe and Queen Mathilde took their four children to a zoo for a day out as summer really got under way. And one group image really stood out as the family of six posed for a photo in front of an elephant with mixed results on the grinning and bearing it front.

  The King and Queen of the Netherlands headed off on holiday with their three girls this week as well and although Dad kept his jacket very firmly on for their photocall on the beach, they all kicked off their shoes and went paddling. But the best photo was an offguard moment caught for posterity of the king and queen watching on as their daughters ran off for some fun. It was a poignant image of parents mixed emotions of joy at seeing their children grow and contemplation of a future which they know will see their little ones move on in the world.

Queen Letizia's fairytale dress propelled her into the headlines this week. The Spanish queen chose a midnight blue frock straight out of Cinderella for a State Dinner and the image of her clearly enjoying wearing it is perhaps one of the most memorable of her entire year.