Why the newest portrait of Harry and Meghan looks so familiar

Last week Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released a stunning new black-and-white portrait together, their first official photo since quitting the monarchy.

The snap features the couple in smart-casual outfits, looking happy and relaxed in one another's company.

RELATED: Harry and Meghan's relationship in pictures

To any, the photo – snapped by LA-based photographer Matt Sayles for TIME – seemed like a symbol of the couple's new life outside the royal family.

But their new portrait actually bears a striking resemblance to another photo of a royal couple.

In 1947 the Queen – then Princess Elizabeth – posed with her soon-to-be husband Prince Philip following the announcement of their engagement.

The black-and-white photo showed Her Majesty as a young woman sitting in a chair while Philip balances on its armrest just behind her.

Harry and Meghan's pose in their new portrait is almost identical to how the Queen and Philip posed over 70 years ago.

What's more, Meghan and the Queen can both be seen smiling in the shots, their hands clasped in their laps while their respective husbands watch over them.

It's unclear if the resemblance was intentional, though some have credited the Sussex's portrait as a tribute to the royal family they left behind.

Others put the similarities down to the body language expressed by both couples, suggesting a happy union in both cases.

RELATED: Meghan wears $545,000 worth of clothes and jewels in latest photos

"Meghan is undoubtedly the star of the double act now they are off making the world a better place, but this pose very cleverly places Harry in the higher and more dominant position, looking direct into the camera while Meghan giggles shyly from the chair," body language expert told Fabulous.

"Tellingly this pose mimics the poses the Queen first used with Philip, where he also sat leaning looking protective and manly while she smiled shyly from her chair."

James also said that there's a physical element to the Sussexes' photo, pointing to Meghan's arm on Harry's thigh.

She added: "they are still as besotted and tactile as when their relationship first began."

RELATED: Meghan Markle's sweet tribute to Princess Diana in new portrait

Though the couple have left the monarchy, they are still in a 12-month transition period leading up to a "re-evaluation" of their royal roles in March 2021.

If this new photo is indeed a nod to Harry's royal grandparents, it could serve as a sign the couple hope to maintain their relationship with the royals.

However, there's also a chance that the couple will face further royal losses come March.

With their roles within the monarchy up for review next years, it's entirely possible they could move further away from the institution, or even lose their royal titles.