
Exhibition
Exhibition introduction ©
On 6 February 1952 Queen Elizabeth II acceded to the throne, following the death of her father King George VI. Twenty days later, the first official portrait sitting of the young Queen’s reign took place. The photographs were taken by Dorothy Wilding, a leading portrait photographer with an outstanding skill for creating emblematic images of great power and longevity, through her use of lighting, stark back-drops and sophisticated retouching.
The resulting images are some of the most memorable and important from The Queen’s reign. Used as official images in British embassies and official buildings across the United Kingdom and around the world, they also formed the basis for the image used on coinage, banknotes, postage stamps and Coronation souvenirs.
For the first time, to mark The Queen’s historic Platinum Jubilee, this exhibition at Buckingham Palace brings together Wilding’s original hand-finished prints from the Royal Collection, together with the jewels worn by Her Majesty in each photograph.
These iconic portraits from 1952 are displayed with official photographs of The Queen commissioned to mark her Silver, Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilees.
Preview the portraits and jewellery below.
Exhibition Preview
Smith & Co : London
Princess Elizabeth's Dress for the Coronation of King George VI
Ede & Ravenscroft [London]
Princess Elizabeth's Robe for the Coronation of King George VI
Cartier [London]
Bracelet
E. Wolff & Co for Garrards
Queen Mary's Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara
Garrard & Co
The Queen's South Africa Necklace
Garrard & Co
The Queen's South Africa Bracelet
Rundell Bridge & Rundell
The Diamond Diadem
Garrard & Co
Delhi Durbar Necklace and Cullinan VII Pendant
Garrard & Co
Pair of earrings
Carrington & Co [London]
Queen Mary's Dorset bow brooch
India
Pair of bangles
Attributed to Bolin [St Petersburg]
Vladimir tiara
Cartier [London]
The Queen's Nizam of Hyderabad and Berar necklace
Studio of Dorothy Wilding (1893-1976)
Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, R.N. Engagement photograph, July 1947
Dorothy Wilding (1893-1976)
HM Queen Elizabeth II (b. 1926)
Dorothy Wilding (1893-1976)
HM Queen Elizabeth II (b. 1926)
Dorothy Wilding (1893-1976)
HM Queen Elizabeth II (b. 1926)
Dorothy Wilding (1893-1976)
HM Queen Elizabeth II (b. 1926)
Dorothy Wilding (1893-1976)
HM Queen Elizabeth II (b. 1926)
Dorothy Wilding (1893-1976)
HM Queen Elizabeth II (b. 1926)
Dorothy Wilding (1893-1976)
HM Queen Elizabeth II (b. 1926)
Dorothy Wilding (1893-1976)
HM Queen Elizabeth II (b. 1926)
Dorothy Wilding (1893-1976)
HM Queen Elizabeth II (b. 1926)
Dorothy Wilding (1893-1976)
HM Queen Elizabeth II (b. 1926)
Dorothy Wilding (1893-1976)
HM Queen Elizabeth II (b. 1926)
Dorothy Wilding (1893-1976)
HM Queen Elizabeth (b. 1926)
Dorothy Wilding (1893-1976)
HM Queen Elizabeth II (b.1926), 1952
Polly Borland (b. 1959)