In Memory of Queen Elizabeth II: Her Majesty’s Life in Portraits
(Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022)
Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest reigning monarch, passed away peacefully on Thursday at the age of 96.
The world-beloved queen was an inspiration to numerous artists and resulted in a multitude of unforgettable images in every imaginable medium during her 70-year reign.
Together, The Queen’s official portraits, nearly 1,000 of them, present a portrait of a woman unflinching in her sense of duty. But they also reveal someone who has repeatedly embraced change, new ideas and experimentation through her sitting for such a wide range of portrait artists since she became Queen in 1952.
Arthur Machin’s portrait used on postage stamps. Photo: Jack Taylor/Getty,
If official imagery helps to mythologise a monarch, Arthur Machin did more to epitomise the idea of Queen Elizabeth than any other artist. Commissioned by the Stamp Advisory Committee, Arthur Machin developed his profile of the Queen in 1967. Known as the “definitive” in philately circles, it has since been reproduced more than 220 billion times and is still used on stamps today.
“Queen Elizabeth II” by Pietro Annigoni, 1955. Tempera, oil and ink on paper. Fishmongers' Hall, London,
“Equanimity” by Chris Levine, 2004. Gelatin silver print on matte fine art paper on aluminum mount, 22 × 17 1/2 in (55.9 × 44.5 cm),
“Her Majesty the Queen on Worcran” by Susan Crawford, 1977. Credit: Royal Collection Trust,
“Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II” by Justin Mortimer, 1998, Oil on canvas, © Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts Manufacturers & Commerce,
“Queen Elizabeth II” (From Reigning Queens) by Andy Warhol, 1985. Complete set of colour screenprints on Lenox Museum Board, 100.0 x 80.0 cm (each, sheet),
“Portrait of the Queen” by Dorothy Wilding,1952 (Hand-coloured by Beatrice Johnson) taken shortly after she acceded to the throne at the age of 25,
“Queen Elizabeth II” by Lucian Freud, , 2001, Oil on canvas, 15.2×23.5 cm. Royal Collection (Buckingham Palace), London, UK,
“The Queen” by Oluwole Omofemi, 2022, (Special commission for the cover of Tatler’s Platinum Jubilee issue. Based on a 1950s portrait of the Queen holding a fan) Courtesy Sotheby’s
“Eight portraits of Queen Elizabeth II onto Stonehenge” in celebration of the Platinum Jubilee, 2022; Each picture is from a different decade of The Queen’s reign, illuminating the ancient monument’s iconic façade in a spectacular display. (Jim Holden/English Heritage/PA Wire)
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