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 earlier this year 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.
King Charles and his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, shared their appreciation for the outpouring of support they received in the wake of the queen’s death.
“Over the last ten days, my wife and I have been so deeply touched by the many messages of condolence and support we have received from this country and across the world,” Charles said in the statement on Sunday.
“In London, Edinburgh, Hillsborough and Cardiff, we were moved beyond measure by everyone who took the trouble to come and pay their respects to the lifelong service of my dear mother, the late Queen,” he said.
The world said goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II on Monday during the state funeral for the 96-year-old British monarch.
A day packed with events in London and Windsor began early when the doors of 900-year-old Westminster Hall were closed to mourners seeking to see the queen lie in state. Since Wednesday, hundreds of thousands had waited for hours in line, including through cold nights, to attend the lying in state in an outpouring of collective grief and respect.
“Here, where Queen Elizabeth was married and crowned, we gather from across the nation, from the Commonwealth, and from the nations of the world, to mourn our loss, to remember her long life of selfless service, and in sure confidence to commit her to the mercy of God our maker and redeemer,” said the dean of the medieval abbey, David Hoyle, as the mourners as the funeral opened.
It drew to a close with two minutes of silence observed across the United Kingdom. The attendees then sang the national anthem, God Save the King.
Following the service, the queen’s family accompanied her coffin from the medieval cathedral in a military procession that carried her to Windsor Castle as a vast crowd looked on from the sides of London’s streets.
Elizabeth will be buried alongside her late husband Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who died last year and was buried at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor.
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