Queen ‘was not very photogenic’ says royals’ favourite

A SOCIETY photographer who took portraits of the Queen struggled because he ‘didn’t consider her to be photogenic,’ his official biographer has said.

Cecil Beaton, commissioned by the Royal Family for four decades, found the secret was to ask her to tilt her head, as straight-on she was a ‘little too full-faced’.

His candid views were revealed by journalist Hugo Vickers, who was given unprecedented access to volumes of Beaton’s unpublished diaries. Speaking at Chalke Valley History Festival, sponsored by the Daily Mail, Vickers also told how Beaton had been ‘quite frightened’ of the Queen Mother since she first sat for him in 1939.

The photographer, who would sometimes take in the waistlines of subjects, once had photos of the Queen Mother sent back with a note reading: ‘Her Majesty feels she cannot have been entirely untouched by the passing of the years.’

Vickers added: ‘Cecil was knighted by the Queen Mother but was actually always quite frightened by her.’

Beaton also struggled at times with Elizabeth, pictured, who he first snapped as a 16-yearold and during her coronation.

Vickers said: ‘When taking photographs of the Queen he always thought it to be very difficult because he didn’t consider her to be photogenic.

‘But he found the secret was in tilting her head and then he got the picture he wanted.’

Beatson photographed the Royal Family until the year he died, aged 76, in 1980.