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Just hours after sending the internet into a frenzy as she announced she was pregnant with twins, Beyonce shared an intimate insight into her pregnancy and family life and posting an onslaught of personal snaps to her website.  

The 35-year-old songstress stripped off for some of the pictures which she shared Thursday with the caption: 'I have three hearts' in reference to her two babies.

The photos give a rare glimpse into her wedding day to husband Jay Z, their holidays with five-year-old daughter Blue Ivy, and stunning behind the scenes shots of her life.

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Hold me tight: Wow! Beyonce, who is expecting twins, shared an intimate insight into her pregnancy atop life with her husband Jay Z and daughter Blue Ivy in an onslaught of personal snaps shared to her website on Thursday

In her photo announcement on Wednesday, Beyonce posed in just a bra and panties in an ethereal shot while surrounded by flowers and cradling her bump in an Instagram post.

She added a caption, reading: 'We would like to share our love and happiness. We have been blessed two times over. We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two, and we thank you for your well wishes. - The Carters.'  

The photo racked up 8.4million likes by Thursday and has broken the record for the most-liked Instagram picture ever, overtaking Selena Gomez's famous Coca-Cola picture with 6.3million.

A bumpy ride: In a 2011 interview, while pregnant with Blue, Beyonce chatted to Molly Meldrum on a Sunday Night programme, which went onto became a YouTube sensation due to reports she was wearing a 'fake baby bump'

Lounging around: Taking to a chaise longue, the music superstar contently rested her hand on her growing bump

And in one of the boldest new snaps, the star posed totally naked while gazing intensely into the camera, in an image inspired by Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus painting, believed to date back to the mid 1490s, and often replicated in pop culture.

Included in the collection were some artsy underwater GIFs showing the Drunk in Love hitmaker wrapped in colorful strips of fabric as she displays her burgeoning tummy.

The star also shared throwback GIFs and shots of her Blue Ivy as an infant. 

Double joy! Beyonce revealed she is pregnant with twins in a message to fans on Instagram on Wednesday. She put her bump on show while wearing just lingerie and a veil. Her choice of a blue panties and a pink bra lead fans to speculate she's expecting a boy and a girl

She is a work of art! The striking image appeared to be borrowed from the iconic Birth of Venus painting by Sandro Botticelli, believed to date back to the mid 1480s, while often replicated in pop culture 

Kiss, kiss: Beyonce enlisted the help of adorable daughter for a number of the shots, as the tot kissed the bare bump in a stunning shot shared by the delighted mum-to-be

While surrounded by flowers and sporting a pair of tights painted with a floral detail, beside her in the image was a statue of Nefertiti, the Egyptian queen and the Great Royal Wife of Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten, whose name means the beautiful one has cometh forth.

Deep and meaningful: While surrounded by flowers and sporting a pair of tights painted with a floral detail, beside her in the image was a statue of Nefertiti, the Egyptian queen and the Great Royal Wife of Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten, whose name means the beautiful one has cometh forth

The bust, replicated in Beyonce's image, is one of the most copied Ancient Egyptian works. The statue is an iconic mark of feminine beauty - making the addition a striking image to the layered shot. Nefertiti is one of the most recognisable and famous women of the ancient world, perhaps in a nod to Beyonce's worldwide fame.

Beyonce enlisted the help of her adorable daughter for a number of the shots, as the tot kissed the bare bump in a striking image shared by the delighted mum-to-be.

As she slipped underwater, the Crazy In Love hitmaker protected her modesty with just delicate sheaths of material while cradling her stomach once more.

It seems the songstress has been documenting her baby journey intimately, as she managed to post a number of shots throughout her pregnancy thus far. 

One image saw Beyonce sit atop a red car, in a setting reminiscent to her video for 2016 hit Formation, a track from her controversial album Lemonade, in which she was seen draping herself out of a blue car while spinning around.

Away from the present, Beyonce also gave fans a rare insight into the Carter's life - particularly when she shared a series of images of her bump throughout her pregnancy with Blue.

True Queen Bey style! Beyonce shared an artsy video clip of her showing off her baby bump underwater as part of her pregnancy album on Thursday

Two on the way: Bey is seen wrapped in colourful strips of fabric as she sinks to the bottom of a pool

Iconic: In another clip the star swims towards the camera

 Thanks baby! Little Blue handed her mum a flower in a glowing shot 

 A dream: The 35-year-old songstress posted the snaps with the caption: 'I have three hearts' emblazoned across, while giving a rare glimpse into her wedding day, holidays with her family and stunning behind the scenes shots of her concerts

At peace... The pregnant star looked serene and stunning in the exquisite snaps 

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Beyonce announced she was expecting two new additions to the Carter family in style by showing off her baby bump in lingerie by Agent Provocateur bra and Liviara.

But of course, big sister-to-be Blue Ivy just had to get in on the action! She joined the superstar singer in a mother/daughter photoshoot, and of course Queen Bey looked positively glowing.

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A driving force: Atop her pictures of her past, she also shared an arty snap as she posed atop a car filled with flowers 

Nine years after their wedding, details of which have previously been closely guarded, Beyonce posted a sweet image of the duo walking away from the altar after saying their vows, after only sharing glimpses of the inside of their nuptials in the past.

Looking phenomenal in a strapless white gown with intricate pleats and a boned bustier, the loved-up beauty threw her arms in the air in exultation while Jay Z clutched her hand and beamed at his new wife's happiness. 

Only forty guests were invited to the couple’s private ceremony, when they walked the aisle in April 2008. They said their nuptials at the iconic rapper's plush 13,500-sq.-ft. penthouse in Tribeca, New York City.

The lavish ceremony saw Beyonce reportedly arranging to have 70,000 white dendrobium orchids flown in from Thailand. A guest of the couple told People magazine: 'It was a very emotional wedding—lots of crying—and really very spiritual.' 

Baby Blue Ivy: As well as the new images, the 35-year-old star - who is expecting twins - shared throwback GIFs and snaps

Look at us! Nine years after their wedding, which has previously been closely guarded, the stunning star posted a sweet image of the duo walking away from saying their vows

Hawaii hotness: The lavish ceremony saw Beyonce reportedly arranging to have 70,000 white dendrobium orchids flown in from Thailand. A guest of the couple told People magazine: 'It was a very emotional wedding—lots of crying—and really very spiritual'

Hold me close: During her huge picture drop, she showed off a cosy snap from the couple's 2015 trip to Mexico 

Proud daddy: While Jay Z and Beyonce have remained relatively tight-lipped about their life behind closed doors, the singer proved pictures speak a thousand words on Thursday 

A vision: As she slipped underwater, the Lemonade hitmaker protected her modesty with just delicate sheaths of material while cradling her stomach once more

The big day: The happy family were also snapped together at Barack Obama's inauguration in 2012, where the songstress had the honour of belting out the national anthem

The happy family were also snapped together at Barack Obama's inauguration in 2012, where the songstress had the honour of belting out the national anthem. Her performance at the ceremony was marred with controversy, after she was accused of lip-syncing, which she later admitted to. 

Happier than ever: Adorable Blue was snapped during a 2012 trip to Antibes in France 

Following her appearance, she said: 'I practice until my feet bleed and I did not have time to rehearse with the orchestra. Due to no proper sound check, I did not feel comfortable taking a risk...

'It was about the president and the inauguration, and I wanted to make him and my country proud, so I decided to sing along with my pre-recorded track, which is very common in the music industry. And I'm very proud of my performance.'

Aside from the various images on the site, Beyonce was also keen to share profound words and literature about her journey to motherhood. 

She posted a poem reading: 'Mother is a cocoon where cells spark, limbs form... Mother swells and stretches to protect her child, mother has one foot in this world and one foot in the next, mother, black venus.' She also posted a note reading: 'Girl turning into woman, woman turning into mother, mother turning into venus.' 

Proud mama! As well as her own life, Bey shared a snap of her mother Tina posing on a beach while pregnant in 1981 - while she was expecting Beyonce 

Look at me go! The stunning star took her delve into the depths of a pool while swathed in scarves 

We on vacay! Bey and Jay shared an intimate moment during a trip to Italy last year

Swim to me... The images were wonderfully artistic, particularly the bold and colourful underwater shots

Ouch! Another of the intimate snaps showed Beyonce with her hair in wild natural curls, while she snuggled under a duvet and captioned the shot: 'Morning sickness with Blue'

Tweets about the big news peaked at 17,000 per minute 

Another of the intimate snaps showed Beyonce with her hair in wild natural curls, while she snuggled under a duvet and captioned the shot: 'Morning sickness with Blue'.

Inside scoop! During her first pregnancy, the singer's close pal Gwenyth Paltrow revealed that even throughout performances, the consumate professional was battling with illness. She said at the time: 'She was absolutely incredible, especially as she was barfing in between'

Queen Bey's followers topped 93.2million following her pregnancy announcement, making her the number four most-followed person on Instagram, trailing behind Ariana Grande (95.4million), Taylor Swift (96.8million), and Selena Gomez (108million). 

Twitter data revealed tweets about Beyonce's big news spiked at 17,000 per minute on Wednesday. 

During her first pregnancy, the singer's close pal Gwenyth Paltrow revealed that even throughout performances, the consumate professional was battling with illness. She said at the time: 'She was absolutely incredible, especially as she was barfing in between.'

She shared a throwback image of her beloved mother Tina Knowles, in 1981, when she was expecting the singer, while also adding a caption: 'I look at photographs of my mother when she was pregnant with me, does she feel how I feel now?'

It seems much of Beyonce's inspiration comes from her mother, as she said in an insightful interview last year that her mother is her hero. 

Speaking to Garage magazine, she said: 'My biggest hero is and always will be my mother. She has taught me about caring for others, working hard, and working smart. 

'Everything I know about being a mother comes from the examples she has shown. My mother has instilled confidence in my sister and me and taught us to always be grateful.'

All month... Beyonce not only showed her current baby bump, she also flaunted a time lapse image of the growth of her stomach throughout her pregnancy with Blue - a point of controversy in itself

Sensational: The legendary singer looked stunning in every shot from her digital photo album 

Tune in! The latest addition to the Carter clan got started early while tuning into hits, as the star placed headphones, adorned with the logo for the New York Yankees, over her growing bump 

On the run... The couple have often collaborated and toured together in 2014 on the On The Run tour 

We are family! The threesome are soon to become five... with Beyonce no doubt prepared to bring her tots to showbiz and music events much like Blue, pictured here at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2014

Beyonce not only showed her current baby bump, she also flaunted a time lapse image of the growth of her stomach throughout her pregnancy with Blue - a point of controversy in itself.  

A bump in the road? In a 2011 interview, while pregnant with Blue, Beyonce chatted to Molly Meldrum on a Sunday Night programme, which went onto became a YouTube sensation due to reports she was wearing a 'fake baby bump'

In a 2011 interview, while pregnant with Blue, Beyonce chatted to jounalist Molly Meldrum on a Sunday night programme, which went onto became a YouTube sensation due to reports she was wearing a 'fake baby bump'.

At one point in the fleeting clip, the cameras appear to show Beyoncé’s bump being squashed and moving as she sits down. The footage promoted speculation on gossip websites that she was wearing a prosthetic bump.  

Shortly after the ludicrous incident, Beyonce gave an interview to Katie Couric for ABC's 20/20, where she said she treated the stories like water off a ducks back. She explained: 'You know there are certain things that are so far, it doesn't even affect me. I am cool, it is so ridiculous and over the top.'

The Love On Top singer revealed that it was her mother, Tina, who needed to be calmed down the most: 'She's like "no one is going to talk about my gran-baby." I was like calm down mom, it's OK.'

At the time of the incident, Beyoncé representation vehemently denied suggestions that she wears a fake baby bump. A spokesperson for the singer told America's ABC News that insinuations about her donning a prosthetic belly was 'stupid, ridiculous and false.' 

Down the line... Beyonce posted a snap of her grandmother holding her mother Tina

Ringing it in! Beyonce shared a duo of snaps from her 30th birthday in which she was at sea, while pregnant with Blue and showing off her blooming bump 

We are family! Blue was seen holding on tight to her beloved mummy in a shot seemingly taken on a yacht in 2015

Honeymooning! The couple, who share a 12 year age gap, were pictured on their honeymoon nine years ago 

TOP TEN MOST-LIKED INSTAGRAM PICTURES EVER

1. Beyonce pregnant with twins - 8.3M

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5.  Taylor Swift with roses sent from Kanye West - 2.6M

6. Taylor Swift with Calvin Harris -  2.5M (deleted)

7. Taylor Swift with cat Meredith selfie - 2.5M 

8. Kim Kardashian marrying Kanye West - 2.49M 

9. Beyonce with Blue Ivy - 2.47M 

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In her initial announcement shot shared to her Instagram, Beyonce's niche choice of a blue knickers and a pink bra led fans to speculate she's expecting a boy and a girl. Rihanna, Rita Ora and Brie Larson were among the first celebrities to congratulate the star and her Jay-Z over social media.

The Single Ladies hitmaker, who has kept out of the spotlight in recent months. In 2013, Beyonce revealed she had suffered a miscarriage prior to the arrival of her daughter.

She said at the time: 'About two years ago, I was pregnant for the first time. And I heard the heartbeat, which was the most beautiful music I ever heard in my life.

'I picked out names. I envisioned what my child would look like. I was feeling very maternal. I flew back to New York to get my check up - and no heartbeat. Literally the week before I went to the doctor, everything was fine, but there was no heartbeat.

'I went into the studio and wrote the saddest song I've ever written in my life. And it was actually the first song I wrote for my album. 

'And it was the best form of therapy for me, because it was the saddest thing I've ever been through.' 

(The track is called Heartbeat. Jay-Z also briefly referenced the miscarriage in his song Glory.)

Beyonce was thrilled when she discovered she was expecting Blue Ivy and found it hard to keep the news to herself to begin with. 

Speaking in her TV show Life Is But a Dream, Beyonce said: 'Being pregnant was very much like falling in love. You are so open. You are so overjoyed. There's no words that can express having a baby growing inside of you, so of course you want to scream it out and tell everyone.'

Shortly after welcoming Blue Ivy, she revealed she wanted more children, telling US Vogue: 'When I was younger, there were moments where I said, "I'm not going to have children", and then there were moments when I wanted four. And now I definitely want another, but I don't know when.'  

Keeping mum: The singer was last pictured on stage with Jay-Z on November 4 while performing at a fundraiser for Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton

Doting parents: The couple with the five-year-old daughter Blue Ivy in June

Behind the scenes... Bey shared a behind the scenes snap of her announcement image 

 

Well wishes: Rihanna, Rita Ora, Paris Hilton, Brie Larson and Beyonce's mom Tina Lawson were among those to congratulate the couple on social media 

Like sisters: Paris Hilton sent out her own message of love, sharing a snap of Queen Bey with her and her sister, Nicky Hilton Rothschild

Becky with the good hair? She sent the internet into overdrive at the end of April last year with the release of her hour-long visual album Lemonade in which she hinted her spouse had been cheating on her with a woman named Becky

I ain't sorry! In the track entitled Sorry, Beyoncé sang: 'Looking at my watch he should have been home/ I regret the day I put that ring on/ He always got them f***ing excuses/ He only want me when I'm not on there / He better call Becky with the good hair' (pictured in the video for Lemonade track Hold Up)

She also described motherhood as 'beautiful', saying: 'When I wake up in the morning, the best thing in the world is seeing her face. It's just such a beautiful time in my life to have a child and every day see something new and see her learn something new.'  

She sent the internet into overdrive at the end of April last year with the release of her hour-long visual album Lemonade in which she hinted her spouse had been cheating on her with a woman named Becky.

In the track entitled Sorry, Beyoncé sang: 'Looking at my watch he should have been home/ I regret the day I put that ring on/ He always got them f***ing excuses/ He only want me when I'm not on there / He better call Becky with the good hair.'

By the end of the album, the pair - who have been rocked with affair allegations for years - have seemingly patched up their differences and prepared to give their marriage another go.

However, although many fans were quick to lash out at the rapper for his alleged behaviour, some people branded it a publicity stunt to rake in cash. The couple made no official comment on the affair rumours.  

'Hive forever': Chrissy Teigen celebrated 10m followers and Beyonce's pregnancy with her trademark humour 

Ray of sunshine: Bryce Dallas Howard welcomed the happy news

Imagine the possibilities: Ryan Seacrest is already looking forward to a musical collaboration 

So much love: La La Anthony, Laverne Cox and Zara Larsson couldn't help but chime in sharing their excitement for the new editions to the Carter family

They've got jokes: Piers Morgan, James Charles, Issa Rae and Hailey Baldwin expressed their enthusiasm with a bit of comedy, joking about how excited they were for the twins to arrive

She sure knows how to take fans by surprise: Beyonce revealed her first pregnancy by opening her jacket and stroking her bump on stage at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards

My mini-me: The proud mother loves to dress up with her daughter; the pair are pictured left in Paris in July and right at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards in August

Atop their Lemonade woes, back in 2014, following the Met Gala, TMZ released footage depicting Beyonce's sister Solange seemingly attacking her brother-in-law in scenes which shocked the showbiz world. 

Following the widely-speculated event, the trio released a joint statement reading: 'As a result of the public release of the elevator security footage from Monday, May 5th, there has been a great deal of speculation about what triggered the unfortunate incident. But the most important thing is that our family has worked through it...

'Jay and Solange each assume their share of responsibility for what has occurred. They both acknowledge their role in this private matter that has played out in the public. They both have apologized to each other and we have moved forward as a united family...

'The reports of Solange being intoxicated or displaying erratic behavior throughout that evening are simply false,” the statement continued. “At the end of the day families have problems and we’re no different. We love each other and above all we are family. We’ve put this behind us and hope everyone else will do the same.'

Oh dear... Atop their Lemonade woes, back in 2014, following the Met Gala, TMZ released footage depicting Beyonce's sister Solange seemingly attacking her brother-in-law in scenes which shocked the showbiz world

Dark times: Following the widely-speculated event, the trio released a joint statement reading: 'As a result of the public release of the elevator security footage from Monday, May 5th, there has been a great deal of speculation about what triggered the unfortunate incident. But the most important thing is that our family has worked through it...'

It's over now: 'The reports of Solange being intoxicated or displaying erratic behavior throughout that evening are simply false,” the statement continued. “At the end of the day families have problems and we’re no different. We love each other and above all we are family. We’ve put this behind us and hope everyone else will do the same.'

Creative: One fan put a Jay Z twist on the now famous Salt Bae meme 

Ouch! Another user took a jab at Destiny's Child while celebrating Beyonce's news