Monday, December 3, 2012

The private life of the Queen: Intimate and rarely seen photographs show Elizabeth's softer side

                         The £99 book, publisher Taschen, features previously unseen pictures, having only been unearthed during research by the book's editor, Reuel Golden       

The £99 book, publisher Taschen, features previously unseen pictures, having only been unearthed during research by the book's editor, Reuel Golden


                                   A picture from 1957, taken at Windsor, Berkshire, shows Queen Elizabeth II driving children Prince Charles and Princess Anne watched by a group of onlookers. It has been released as a part of a set of rare and touchingly intimate pictures

A picture from 1957, taken at Windsor, Berkshire, shows Queen Elizabeth II driving children Prince Charles and Princess Anne, watched by a group of onlookers. It has been released as a part of a set of rare and touchingly intimate pictures

Whether laughing as she drives her children, beaming as she boards a plane beside her husband, or captured half-smiling in glamorous official pose, this set of rare and touchingly intimate pictures show Queen Elizabeth II as we have rarely seen her before.

The images, some of which were snapped by bystanders, others taken by famous names, will be unveiled in a comprehensive book published this week commemorating the long reign of Queen Elizabet


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Just like any other family: Queen Elizabeth sits with her two eldest children Charles and Anne to watch a sporting event in the 1950s
Just like any other family: Queen Elizabeth sits with her two eldest children Charles and Anne to watch a sporting event in the 1950s
A somber portrait of Queen Elizabeth The Queen looks carefree and happy as looks over the side of a ship

A huge contrast: Queen Elizabeth looks rather sombre in an official portrait, left, but happy and carefree as she is photographed enjoying the scenes from a ship, right


Some of the shots were previously unseen, having only been unearthed during research by the book's editor, Reuel Golden.
One of the royal couple waving goodbye from the steps of a jet returning from a tour of the West Indies in 1966, taken by Glaswegian royal photographer Harry Benson, was found undeveloped in a roll of archived film.
The £99 book, from high-end publisher Taschen, is aimed at an international as well as British market.




 
It features the work of Sir Cecil Beaton, Yousuf Karsh and Lords Snowdon and Lichfield, as well as that of more contemporary photographers Wolfgang Tillmans, Rankin and Annie Leibovitz.
Golden has included images of the Queen meeting leading figures of the 20th century, including the Beatles and John F Kennedy.
In one image from 1956, Marilyn Monroe can be seen in a shimmery low cut dress with full-length gloves as she waits her turn in a line of stars at the premiere of The Battle of the River Plate in Leicester Square to meet Queen Elizabeth.

One particularly touching image shows the Queen driving through Windsor in her Daimler in 1957, with a young Prince Charles in the front seat and Princess Anne in the back.
Mr Golden, a former editor of the British Journal of Photography, who now lives in New York,  told the Observer: 'While there have been a few books on the subject this year, there's never been anything quite like this book.'
He added: 'The formal portraiture has to be an important part of the book.
But we also wanted to convey the relentless travelling, the rituals of meeting and greeting, whether it be in Ghana, France or the US - especially, in the 1950s to 1960s, when she was perceived as a glamorous figure, who would draw huge crowds wherever she went.' 

Publishers Taschen said: 'Born in 1926, married in 1947, crowned as Queen in 1953, for over six decades she has steadfastly and loyally carried out her duty on behalf of her country, never speaking out of turn or putting a foot wrong. 

'The book tells her remarkable royal story through hundreds of stunning photographs, many previously unseen and sourced from multiple archives in the United Kingdom (including the Royal Collection), Continental Europe, and the United States. 

'These images have it all: history, politics, glamour, fashion, culture, travel, and, of course, hats.'

A family break: The Queen taking a stroll with Prince Charles, his younger brother and two corgis through the grounds of Balmoral Castle in the 1960s

A family break: The Queen taking a stroll with Prince Charles, Prince Edward and two corgis through the grounds of Balmoral Castle in the 1960s

A night with the stars: Marilyn Monroe, pictured in a shimmering gown and elbow-length gloves, waits her tun to meet Queen Elizabeth at the premiere of The Battle of the River Plate in Leicester Square in 1956

A night with the stars: Marilyn Monroe, pictured far right in a shimmering gown and elbow-length gloves, waits her tun to meet Queen Elizabeth at the premiere of The Battle of the River Plate in Leicester Square in 1956



VIDEO: When the Queen met Marilyn: Her Royal Highness attends the 1956 premiere of The Battle of the River Plate... 



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