To commence the beginning of a weekend of national and Commonwealth celebrations, one final portrait of Her Majesty The Queen has been unveiled and it’s truly beautiful.
The stunning shot, taken by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, shows Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh with his wife of 68 years at their beloved Windsor Castle just after Easter.
Alongside the image, the Queen has remarked: “He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years.”
The Queen and Prince Philip will celebrate their 69th wedding anniversary in November.
In the snap, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch sits regally beside her husband.
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Shedding the extravagance for a stripped down close up of the two, the pair smile down the lens of the camera looking polished.
Their unbreakable bond is clear for all to see and it provides a rare glimpse into one of the strongest royal marriages in history.
In the past, The Duke has previously joked of their first few meetings: “You were so shy. I couldn’t get a word out of you.”
But after decades of marriage, The Queen and Philip have only flourished as a couple.
“You can take it from me, the Queen has the quality of tolerance in abundance,” Prince Philip has remarked, before adding “the secret of a happy marriage is to have different interests.”
Her Majesty dons a salmon-pink cardigan adorned with gold buttons, a striped blouse and her signature pearl earrings while her husband matches his beloved with a pink pocket square tucked into a checkered suit that sits atop a pastel pink shirt.
Everything you need to know about the new portrait in the player below. Post continues after the video!
This last, stunning portrait is the sixth in the series shot by the famed American photographer in celebration of the 90-year-old’s incredible milestone.
And it is fitting that Elizabeth II should stand beside her loving husband on the day of its released, June 10, as this day also marks the Duke’s 95th birthday.
The previous portrait released in the series showed the Monarch at Windsor Castles sitting comfortably in the lush gardens of her country estate.
Perched on a bench covered by a blue blanket, Her Majesty is surrounded by her four loyal corgis and dorgies Willow, Vulcan, Candy and Holly.
Her Majesty graces the summer issue of Vanity Fair for the second time.
And it was an idea thought up by the Queen herself!
“The most moving, important thing about this shoot is that these were all her ideas,” Annie, 66, said to Vanity Fair.
“I was told how relaxed she was at Windsor, and it was really true. You get the sense of how at peace she was with herself, and very much enthralled with her family.”
And of course who could forget the amazing family photo of The Queen with her five great-grandchildren and her two youngest grandchildren, which was shared back in April.
Birthday bash! Queen Elizabeth was joined by Prince Charles for a meet-and-greet on April 21 – her actual birthday.
It’s been a year of continuous celebrations for the inspirational leader, who began her birthday celebrations back in April.
Kicking off her special day with a local walkabout on April 21, Her Majesty was greeted by thousands of adoring fans, who had lined the streets of Windsor to wish her a very happy 90th birthday.
Following the short engagement, the Queen headed home to her lavish castle, where she was believed to be having a private dinner with 71 guests, including 30 members of the royal family.
Flash forward a month, and members of the royal family flooded into Windsor once more to help honour Britain’s longest-reigning monarch at a special gala marking her 90th birthday.
The woman of the hour (or rather, year!) arrived at the event with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh at her side, in a horse-drawn carriage and were treated to an extravagant evening of entertainment.
And her celebrations will only kick up a notch this weekend with the annual Trooping The Colour ceremony set to take place in London.
