Queen Elizabeth II’s demise on September 8 has caused a mournful cloud over the UK, the Commonwealth nations, and the world. The longest reigning monarch in Britain’s history passed away in Balmoral Castle. The estate is situated in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
The Queen’s death comes a little over a year after the death of Prince Philip, her husband. The news was announced on social media platforms Twitter and Instagram, initially by Prince Charles (who is now King) who revealed that the Queen died peacefully in the afternoon.
Take a look at the post here.
A statement from His Majesty The King: pic.twitter.com/AnBiyZCher
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 8, 2022
The Royal Collection Trust also broke the news with a post that accompanied a black and white photograph of the monarch. It looked substantially different from other royal portraits where she is seen looking directly at the camera. In the post, the late Queen is seen with a demure smile on her lips, her favourite pearl jewellery, and looking away from the camera lens. Take a look at the post here.
The caption of the post said,” The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.” The portrait was taken on the occasion of the Queen’s 80th birthday and was taken by late photographer Jane Bown–PEOPLE reported. The photograph was taken at Buckingham Palace in February 2006 and was featured in Bown’s 2009 book Exposures.
The same publication shared that Queen Elizabeth II had selected Jane Bown to take a ‘photographic portrait at the start of her eightieth birthday year’– this information also accompanies the portrait now at the Royal Collection Trust. Bown is considered a visionary among women photographers as she began her career in the late 1940s.
A 2007 The Guardian report revealed that the late photographer was awarded an MBE (Member of the British Empire) in 1985 and a CBE (Commander) in 1995. Bown also received an honourary fellowship at the Royal Photographic Society in 2000. The same report stated that when Bown reached Buckingham Palace to collect her CBE, the Queen complimented her as an artist, to which she replied,” “I am not an artist. I’m just a hack.”
