When many think of American photographer Annie Leibovitz, certain images may come to mind. They might be images like the controversial one of a teen Miley Cyrus showing her back,. But perhaps for many, the photo that springs to mind features Queen Elizabeth II. Between the several sessions Leibovitz had with the late Queen, there are several that have become icon images of an historic reign.
Annie Leibovitz photographed Elizabeth II on two occasions, one in 2007 and the other in 2016. These sessions made her the first American photographer to be asked by the Royal Family to take their photographs which is considered a high honour. Leibovitz wrote in her 2008 book, At Work, that ”“It was ok for me to be reverent. The British are conflicted about what they think of the monarch. If a British portraitist is reverent he’s perceived to be doting. I could do something traditional.”
In 2007, Leibovitz had wanted to shoot Her Late Majesty at Windsor Castle with Queen Elizabeth II on horseback. Instead, she was given 25 minutes at Buckingham Palace with one of the most famous people in the world. And it produced a very famous incident.
Queen Elizabeth II arrived wearing the robes of the Order of the Garter and the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara, one of her most famous diadems. It wasn’t what Annie Leibovitz had expected. She famously asked if the tiara could be removed to make things “less dressy” to which Elizabeth II replied, “Less dressy! What do you think this is?”
Leibovitz later recalled that “At one point when things had calmed down—after the misunderstanding about her wearing the tiara or not wearing the tiara—she settled into the shoot and became quiet. She then said, “I think Princess Margaret would have been a much better subject.” That moment of vulnerability—it makes me cry right now to think of it…that there was this moment in the middle of the session when she thought that maybe she was not a good enough subject, that she kind of questions herself. We got to see all sides of her that day.”
Ten years later, Leibovitz received her second call to photograph the Royal Family. This time, there was no Buckingham Palace or per Leibovitz’s wish, Balmoral. Instead, the request was made to come to Windsor Castle. Some of the famous photos include one of The Queen alongside The Princess Royal in the White Drawing Room.
However, for many, it’s the one photo of Queen Elizabeth II and her grandchildren and great-grandchildren that stands out. The photo includes a young Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Lady Louise, and Mia Tindall.
Annie Leibovitz recalled that ”this time, she had ideas for the shoot. She wanted her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and Princess Anne and her corgis. Probably the most endearing sitting on that shoot with her was with the grandchildren. They were running around calling her “gran” or “granny.” It was chaotic and we asked if she would let Princess Charlotte sit on her lap. And she said, “But I’ll get all black and blue”—because at the time Charlotte was a terror. Mia Tindall [another great-granddaughter] wouldn’t even get in the picture. She was running around and finally the Queen gave her her purse and Mia started going through it and walked back into the picture and we quickly took a couple of frames.”
Leibovitz’s own children got to meet Queen Elizabeth II. She recalls the moment of working on a photo of her and the corgis when it started to thunder and rain. That’s when Her Late Majesty motioned to shelter in an alcove under the stairs. Annie Leibovitz said “That’s exactly when my children [Sarah, then 16, and Susan and Samuelle, then 12] were driven up. We all hovered under the stairs while it rained and the Queen told them how she played there as a child. They couldn’t believe she was the Queen.”
While we remember the photos, Leibovitz remembers the way Queen Elizabeth II walked and was in good shape, how she showed her her gardens, and how she was talkative – but quiet. Traits, many of us cherish and miss about Her Late Majesty.
