Royal service with a smile... fresh portrait reveals relaxed monarch
A NEW portrait of the Queen which captures the monarch off-guard and smiling with a “quizzical expression” has been unveiled to mark her Platinum Jubilee.
The relaxed test shot by Rob Munday was taken in 2004 during a photographic session to create the first officially commissioned 3D hologram of the Queen.
Munday’s new image – which he has titled Platinum Queen: Felicity – remained unnoticed in his archives for almost 19 years, before he rediscovered it last summer.
The composition sees the Queen reacting to an unscripted and amusing comment made by her close confidante and senior dresser Angela Kelly, as Ms Kelly rearranged her clothing prior to the holographic shoot at Buckingham Palace.
Munday said: “The Queen’s daily life is so full of responsibility and duty that it was wonderful to see this fleeting moment of relaxation and pleasure.
“It is an uplifting portrait, so different from many of the more sombre portraits commissioned in recent years and a befitting celebration for her Platinum Jubilee.”
The portrait was described as capturing “the twinkle in the Queen’s eye” and an “almost quizzical expression” demonstrating “the deep bond and trust” between the monarch and Ms Kelly, with the piece dedicated to their 20 years of friendship.
The original holographic portrait of the Queen, titled Equanimity, by artist Chris Levine and holographer Munday, was previously voted visitors’ favourite portrait at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
It was wonderful to see this fleeting moment of relaxation. Photographer Rob Munday.