Royal portraits that got it right: before the ‘red King Charles’ controversy, Queen Elizabeth and her brood were lovingly captured by famous photographers like Annie Leibovitz, Rankin and Cecil Beaton

May 31 , 2024

‘Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography’, an exhibition of royal portraits running until October, depicts King Charles as a boy, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Princess Margaret (shown) and others, all shot by famous photographers and even fellow royals. The exhibition runs until October 6 at the King’s Gallery – formerly the Queen’s Gallery – in Buckingham Palace, and features 150 prints of members of the house of Windsor dating back to the early 1920s. Photos: Handout

Few families have ever been scrutinised and obsessed over like the British royals. The subjects of countless articles, books, television shows and more, the late Queen Elizabeth and her brood – including her son Charles, the current King – have always been in the spotlight, sometimes willingly, as the exhibition “Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography”, documents.

Andy Warhol, Reigning Queens (Royal Edition): Queen Elizabeth, 1985. Photo: The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc

Held at the King’s Gallery – formerly the Queen’s Gallery – in Buckingham Palace until October 6 this year, the show displays more than 150 prints of members of the house of Windsor dating back to the early 1920s and extending right up to the present day.

Prince Charles and Princess Anne, 1956. Photo: Antony Armstrong-Jones

Besides its illustrious subjects, the exhibition also stands out for the famous names behind the camera, ranging from living photographers such as Annie Leibovitz and Rankin, to the late Cecil Beaton and Lord Snowdon, once married to Princess Margaret.

Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh. Proof with handwritten instructions, 1958. Photo: Antony Armstrong-Jones

Dorothy Wilding, Queen Elizabeth II, 1952

Royalty

Now on show at Buckingham Palace, new exhibition ‘Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography’ features 150 prints of members of the house of Windsor dating back to the early 1920s
As well as several classic shots by celebrity photographers, intimate images were captured by Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, once married to Princess Margaret