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Never-before-seen snapshot of royal motherhood: Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret, Princess Alexandra and Duchess of Kent hold their newborn babies in photo from 1964 - as it goes on display for first time
It is a remarkable and never seen before snapshot of royal motherhood.
The image, taken by Lord Snowdon, shows Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret, Princess Alexandra and the Duchess of Kent holding their newborn babies in 1964.
It was captured by Princess Margaret's celebrated photographer husband as a personal token of thanks for Sir John Peel, the royal obstetrician who delivered all four babies within two months - Prince Edward, Lady Sarah Chatto, James Ogilvy and Lady Helen Windsor.
And it will be one of the highlights of a new exhibition Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography, opening tomorrow at The King's Gallery, Buckingham Palace.
The charming picture will be displayed along with a handwritten letter from Princess Margaret to her sister, asking her 'Darling Lilibet' to sign a print 'as a souvenir of an extraordinary two months of delivery'.
This photograph, taken by Lord Snowdon, shows Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret , Princess Alexandra and the Duchess of Kent holding their newborn babies in 1964
A handwritten letter from Princess Margaret to her sister Queen Elizabeth II in 1965, asking her 'Darling Lilibet' to sign a print 'as a souvenir of an extraordinary two months of delivery'
The Queen Mother's personal copy of her daughter Elizabeth II's Coronation portrait in 1953
Polly Borland's Golden Jubilee portrait of the late Queen set against a glittering gold backdrop in 2001
Paolo Roversi's memorable 40th-birthday portrait of the present Princess of Wales in 2021
Kate's dress and pose in the 2021 portrait bears a striking visual resemblance to an 1864 portrait of Alexandra, Princess of Wales by Franz Xaver Winterhalter from the Royal Collection
She also offers her 'a hundred million thanks' for having them all for the photo shoot.
The new exhibition - the first to be held at the The King's Gallery since it was renamed following the death of Queen Elizabeth - will also include The Queen Mother's personal copy of her daughter's Coronation portrait; and the earliest surviving colour photographic print of a member of the Royal Family.
It charts the evolution of royal portrait photography from the 1920s to the present day through more than 150 items from the Royal Collection and Royal Archives.
The photographs presented in the exhibition are vintage prints – the original works produced by the photographer – most of which are on display for the first time.
Alessandro Nasini, curator of Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography, said: 'The Royal Collection holds some of the most enduring photographs ever taken of the Royal Family, captured by the most celebrated portrait photographers of the past hundred years – from Dorothy Wilding and Cecil Beaton to Annie Leibovitz, David Bailey, and Rankin.
The earliest surviving photographic print of a member of the Royal Family produced in colour. It shows Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester (sister-in-law to King George VI and Edward VIII). The photograph was taken in 1935 by Madame Yevonde, a pioneer of colour photography
An unreleased wartime image by Cecil Beaton showing King George VI and Queen Elizabeth inspecting bomb damage at Buckingham Palace in 1940 shows them smiling comfortingly at each other amidst the debris
A 1943 portrait taken by Cecil Beaton at Royal Lodge in Windsor shows King George VI and Queen Elizabeth gathered around the King's desk with Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, conveying a reassuring sense of domesticity and calm during the Second World War
A note from 1953 written Martin Charteris, the Queen's Assistant Private Secretary, recommending to Prince Philip which images from the Coronation should be sent as personal mementos to the Royal Family and Maids of Honour
Cecil Beaton's charming 25th-birthday portrait of Princess Margaret in 1955, dressed in an evening gown with her dog Pippin in her lap
A previously unseen contact sheet by Norman Parkinson in 1980 showing the late Queen and Princess Margaret laughing and talking together during a sitting to mark their mother's 80th birthday
'Alongside these beautiful vintage prints, which cannot be on permanent display for conservation reasons, we are excited to share archival correspondence and never-before-seen proofs that will give visitors a behind-the-scenes insight into the process of creating such unforgettable royal portraits.'
Visitors will see the earliest surviving photographic print of a member of the Royal Family produced in colour.
It shows Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester (sister-in-law to King George VI and Edward VIII) on her wedding day.
The photograph was taken in 1935 by Madame Yevonde, a pioneer of colour photography and champion of women photographers.
Unreleased wartime images by Cecil Beaton will also be on display for the first time, demonstrating how King George VI and Queen Elizabeth used photography to project a sense of stability and hope for the nation.
A photograph of the royal couple inspecting bomb damage at Buckingham Palace in 1940 shows them smiling comfortingly at each other amidst the debris, while a 1943 portrait taken at Royal Lodge in Windsor shows them gathered around the King's desk with Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, conveying a reassuring sense of domesticity and calm.
Rankin's 2001 photograph of a smiling Queen Elizabeth II, superimposed against the Union Flag
Andy Warhol's legendary 1985 portrait of Her late Majesty, sprinkled with diamond dust to make it sparkle in the light
Antony Armstrong-Jones's proof of Elizabeth and Philip in 1958 with handwritten instructions
Cecil Beaton's proofs of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on Coronation Day in 1953
A portrait by Cecil Beaton of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother taken in 1939
A portrait by Cecil Beaton of Princess Margaret taken in 1949
Beaton photographed the Royal Family over the course of six decades and was chosen as the official photographer for Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation in 1953.
Visitors will see a contact sheet of proofs from the Coronation sitting, alongside a note from Martin Charteris, the Queen's Assistant Private Secretary, recommending to Prince Philip which images should be sent as personal mementos to the Royal Family and Maids of Honour.
The photograph subsequently sent to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, signed by Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and Cecil Beaton, will also be on display.
But alongside portraits marking official occasions will be pictures capturing more intimate family moments, including photographs taken during sittings to mark royal birthdays through the decade.
These include Cecil Beaton's charming 25th-birthday portrait of Princess Margaret, dressed in an evening gown with her dog Pippin in her lap, and a previously unseen contact sheet by Norman Parkinson showing the late Queen and Princess Margaret laughing and talking together during a sitting to mark their mother's 80th birthday.
Snowdon's portrait of Princess Margaret, taken in 1967
Antony Armstrong-Jones's portrait of then-Prince Charles and Princess Anne, taken in 1956
Princess Elizabeth is shown in this 1942 wartime portrait taken by Cecil Beaton
Dorothy Wilding's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II which was taken in 1952
Cecil Beaton's proofs from sitting with Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 1939
Visitors will also see Paolo Roversi's memorable 40th-birthday portrait of the present Princess of Wales, in which Her Royal Highness's dress and pose bear a striking visual resemblance to an 1864 portrait of Alexandra, Princess of Wales by Franz Xaver Winterhalter from the Royal Collection, which will hang nearby.
Some of the pictures capture a modern sense of fun, including Rankin's 2001 photograph of a smiling Queen Elizabeth II, superimposed against the Union Flag; Polly Borland's Golden Jubilee portrait of the late Queen set against a glittering gold backdrop; and Andy Warhol's legendary 1985 portrait of Her late Majesty, sprinkled with diamond dust to make it sparkle in the light.
The exhibition's free multimedia guide, narrated by Dame Joanna Lumley, features contributions from royal photographers Hugo Burnand, Rankin and John Swannell.
Visitors will hear Burnand's behind-the-scenes account of taking the official Coronation portraits of Their Majesties The King and Queen on 6 May 2023 – from cycling to and from the Palace to avoid roadblocks and getting soaked in the rain in the process, to doing dress rehearsals right up until the moment the Gold State Coach arrived back at the Palace from Westminster Abbey.
'Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography' is at The King's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, from tomorrow (May 17) until October 6, 2024. Visitor information and tickets can be found on the Royal Collection Trust website by clicking here.