HM Queen Elizabeth II (b. 1926)
26 - 26 Feb 1952Gelatin silver print | 20.8 x 16 cm (whole object) | RCIN 2152970
The first official photographic sitting with the new Queen was granted to the society photographer Dorothy Wilding. It took place on 26 February 1952, just twenty days after the accession, followed by a second sitting on 15 April. A total of fifty-nine photographs were taken by Wilding, showing The Queen dressed in a variety of gowns designed by Norman Hartnell and wearing jewellery including the Diamond Diadem. Wilding's photographs were used as the basis of The Queen's image on postage stamps from 1953 until 1971, as well as providing the official portrait of Her Majesty which was sent to every British embassy throughout the world, making the Diadem instantly recognisable to millions of people across the globe.