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Queen Elizabeth II

REVEALED: Unreleased photo of Queen Elizabeth II on first anniversary of her death

King Charles has unveiled a new photo of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, that has not been released before now.

Buckingham Palace released the image on the first anniversary of the death of the historic monarch and said it was chosen by the King to mark the anniversary.

Queen Elizabeth II is seen in Buckingham Palace on 16 October 1968 in an official sitting for Cecil Beaton.

The late Queen is seen in Order of the Garter robes, smiling at the camera while wearing the Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara (known to be one of her favourite tiaras).

Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

While it hasn’t been officially released before, it has been on display in the past.

It was first shown at the National Portrait Gallery between November 1968 and March 1969 during its exhibition ‘Beaton Portraits 1928-68’. Buckingham Palace said: “This was also the first retrospective of the work of a living photographer in a British national museum.”

Beaton photographed the late monarch and other members of the Royal Family for decades. He first photographed Queen Elizabeth II in 1942 while she was still Princess Elizabeth. The sitting in 1968 was the last one for the photographer and Her Late Majesty.

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About author

Brittani is from Tennessee, USA. She is a political scientist and historian after graduating with a degree in the topics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in December 2014. She also holds a master's degree from Northeastern University. She enjoys reading and researching all things regarding the royals of the world. She's been researching, reading, and writing on royalty for over a decade. She became Europe Editor in October 2016, and then Deputy Editor in January 2019, and has been featured on several podcasts, radio shows, news broadcasts and websites including Global News Canada, ABC News Australia, WION India and BBC World News.