Queen Elizabeth II final portrait: Never-before-seen photo released before funeral
Global News
Queen Elizabeth is pictured smiling widely — a departure from previous royal portraits which typically show the queen with a close-mouthed smile.
A previously unseen portrait of Queen Elizabeth II was released on Sunday, a day before her state funeral, which saw hundreds of thousands or people flock to London to pay their respects.
This final portrait was released by the Royal Family, who said the photo was taken during the queen’s Platinum Jubilee, a celebration in February 2022 which marked her 70th year on the British throne. Queen Elizabeth II was the first British monarch in history to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee.
In the photo, Queen Elizabeth is seen smiling widely, as if mid-laugh — a departure from previous royal portraits which typically show the queen with a close-mouthed smile.
Elizabeth is wearing a powder blue dress with a signature three-string pearl necklace and matching earrings in the photo taken by Ranald Mackechnie. Minus tiaras, crowns or any other indicator of royalty, it shows a more human side of the monarch.
The aquamarine brooches pinned to Queen Elizabeth’s dress have a long history. They were given to her in 1944 by her father, the previous king, George VI. The brooches were a gift for then-Princess Elizabeth’s 18th birthday.
Queen Elizabeth died on Sept. 8 in her beloved Scottish residence, Balmoral Castle, alongside members of her family. Her son, King Charles III, is now the head of state for the United Kingdom, Canada and other Commonwealth Nations.
Since the queen’s death, the U.K. has been observing a 10-day period of mourning to grieve the only monarch most Britons have ever known.
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