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Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level F , Case X, Shelf 914, Box D

Photograph

02/06/1953 (photographed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Photograph depicting Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and Prince Charles, on the Coronation day of Queen Elizabeth II. In this head and shoulders portrait, the young Prince is wearing a dress-shirt, decorated with a medal (just seen) and a lace neck-tie. He looks towards the camera with a shy expression. His grandmother, who holds him around the shoulders, leaning her face towards him, is looking at the camera and smiling. She wears a diamond crown and jewellery. Over her gown, she wears a dark coloured sash which is decorated with ribbons and two miniature portraits. These miniature portraits are framed with jewels and appear to depict the new Queen (Elizabeth II) and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The scene is framed by a draped curtain; which reveals a painted backdrop depicting the exterior of Westminster Abbey (where the Coronation ceremony had taken place shortly before this sitting).


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
photography
Brief description
Royal Portrait by Cecil Beaton (1904-1980). Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, and Prince Charles. Coronation day of Queen Elizabeth II, Buckingham Palace, 1953.
Physical description
Photograph depicting Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and Prince Charles, on the Coronation day of Queen Elizabeth II. In this head and shoulders portrait, the young Prince is wearing a dress-shirt, decorated with a medal (just seen) and a lace neck-tie. He looks towards the camera with a shy expression. His grandmother, who holds him around the shoulders, leaning her face towards him, is looking at the camera and smiling. She wears a diamond crown and jewellery. Over her gown, she wears a dark coloured sash which is decorated with ribbons and two miniature portraits. These miniature portraits are framed with jewels and appear to depict the new Queen (Elizabeth II) and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The scene is framed by a draped curtain; which reveals a painted backdrop depicting the exterior of Westminster Abbey (where the Coronation ceremony had taken place shortly before this sitting).
Dimensions
  • Image width: 19.3cm
  • Image height: 19.1cm
  • Paper width: 19.3cm
  • Paper height: 19.1cm
Marks and inscriptions
[various re-touching marks]
Production
Cecil Beaton photographed members of the royal family from 1930-1979.
Subjects depicted
Place depicted
Bibliographic reference
Strong, Roy C. Cecil Beaton: the royal portraits. London: Thames and Hudson, c1988. p. 138
Other number
B.647/67 - Beaton's number
Collection
Accession number
PH.559-1987

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Record createdJune 8, 2009
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