A stunning new portrait of the Queen has been released ahead of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Photo / Getty Images
A stunning new portrait of the Queen has been released ahead of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Photo / Getty Images
The Queen is celebrating 70 years on the throne with a beautiful new portrait.
The specially commissioned photo was released to mark the beginning of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations, which begin with the Trooping the Colour Parade on Thursday.
Taken by Ranald Mackechnie, the portrait was snapped in the VictoriaVestibule at Windsor Castle on May 25. The castle's Round Tower and the statue of King Charles II in the Quadrangle can be seen in the background.
Unlike her past three Jubilee portraits, in this photograph the Queen has gone for an understated look in a powder blue coat dress and her go-to string of pearls, with the engagement ring given to her by her late husband Prince Philip clearly visible on her finger.
She wore the Imperial State Crown for her Silver Jubilee portrait, and tiaras, her royal sash and medals in her Golden and Diamond Jubilee portraits. But in this one, the grandmother of eight and great-grandmother of 12 has opted for a more relaxed look.
Her Majesty The Queen, the first Monarch in British history to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee.
To mark the beginning of the #PlatinumJubilee Celebration Weekend, a new portrait of The Queen has been released.
The Queen released a personal message ahead of the celebrations.
"Thank you to everyone who has been involved in convening communities, families, neighbours and friends to mark my Platinum Jubilee, in the United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth. I know that many happy memories will be created at these festive occasions," she said.
This photo of the Queen was released earlier this year to mark her 96th birthday. Photo / Buckingham Palace
"I continue to be inspired by the goodwill shown to me, and hope that the coming days will provide an opportunity to reflect on all that has been achieved during the last seventy years, as we look to the future with confidence and enthusiasm," she concluded, signing off the message Elizabeth R.
