The final section will be dedicated to Beaton himself. Over the next three decades, Beaton photographed the Queen on many significant occasions including her coronation day. The exhibition will explore Beaton’s long relationship with Queen Elizabeth II, who was a teenage princess when she first sat for Beaton in 1942.

It will show elegant and highly-staged photographs alongside informal moments of the Royal Family at home, interspersed with film and radio footage from the time.ĭistinguished photographer, designer and avid diarist, Beaton’s royal portraits were among the most widely published photographs of the 20th century. The exhibition will feature nearly 100 portraits, from wartime photographs of Princess Elizabeth with her family, to tender images of Her Majesty with her own young children, and official portraits that convey the magnitude of her role as the British monarch. Presenting highlights of the V&A’s collection of Beaton’s royal photography, the exhibition will depict the Queen in her roles as a princess, a monarch and a mother including a number of never seen before photographs. The exhibition coincides with the 60 th anniversary of her accession to the throne, marking her Diamond Jubilee.

To celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, London’s Victoria & Albert (V&A) will be holding an exhibition of portraits of Her Majesty by photographer Cecil Beaton from 8 th February until 22 nd April, 2012 at its Porter Gallery.

Cecil beaton elizabeth ii