Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee is here—and with it, a new portrait.
To mark the milestone occasion—on June 2, the Queen will have spent 70 years on the throne—Buckingham Palace released a photo of the nonagenarian monarch taken by Ranald Mackechnie. In it, she flashes a megawatt smile while sitting on a window sill at Windsor Castle, one of the historic estate's famous towers visible in the background. Her hair is coiffed, and she wears a powder blue suit and a string of pearls. "Her Majesty The Queen, the first Monarch in British history to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee," the Palace captioned the photo.
It is a pared-back portrait of the Queen: instead of donning full regalia in a grand palatial room, she chose instead to embody a more modest look in a reserved setting. Which, perhaps, is emblematic of her persona as a whole: throughout her reign, she has been a leader known for her no-fuss steadiness.
Queen Elizabeth followed up the portrait with a statement. "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 wrote. "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." At the end, she signed her note with "Elizabeth R."
Tomorrow kicks off a four-day bank holiday in honor of the British monarch, which will start with the annual Trooping the Color. The festivities will culminate on Sunday with the Platinum Jubilee Pageant.
