Queen Elizabeth II

Felicity - Platinum Queen, by Rob Munday, 2004 / 2022

At the first sitting in 2003, the Queen was directed to sit in the chair that Rob had accurately positioned in front of his 3D camera within his temporary studio in the Yellow Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace.

Upon sitting in the chair, but prior to commencement of the official shoot, the Queen’s closest aide, dresser, and long-term friend, Angela Kelly LVO, came over to arrange her cloak. Whilst doing so, she whispered something amusing in the Queen’s ear and the Queen smiled. At that precise moment, Rob took some personal shots, capturing this incredible and unexpected moment of felicity. It is rare to see such a natural and unposed moment of joyfulness. The twinkle in the Queen’s eye, the almost whimsical look, shows a deep bond of trust between herself and Angela Kelly. Angela was a point of stability in the Queen's life for over 20 years so Rob chose to dedicate the portrait to her and her wonderful service to Her Majesty the Queen.

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The portrait lay undiscovered on Rob's hard drive for over 18 years but was found by him in August 2021, whilst isolating at his home in France during a Covid lockdown. After creative manipulation and processing, it was officially unveiled at 45 Park Lane, Dorchester, London on the 4th May 2022 to commemorate The Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

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The portrait has received huge acclaim throughout the world's press, being voted one of the top 10 images published in the world for that week. One of the hundreds of complimentary comments on social media stated 'Her facial expression shows a depth in her personality that reaches back to the days of her youth when the enormous weight of wearing the crown of England was not yet realised', P.A. McCandless, and another simply said 'she looks so normal 😊'.

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