Former Rare Staff
As Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip prepare to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary this week, the royal couple released their latest anniversary portrait on Saturday.
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“To mark The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh’s 70th Wedding Anniversary, new photographic portraits have been released worldwide,” The Royal Family wrote on Instagram alongside the gorgeous new photo. “The portraits, by British photographer Matt Holyoak of Camera Press, were taken in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle in early November. In this first release, The Queen and His Royal Highness are framed by Thomas Gainsborough’s 1781 portraits of George III and Queen Charlotte, who were married for 57 years.”
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The photographer recalled snapping the beautiful portrait, saying, “I feel very honored and privileged to have been asked to contribute to this very special occasion. My vision for the image was to capture an intimate and natural portrait of the Queen and Duke to celebrate their landmark anniversary. The Queen and the Duke were very happy and relaxed which made it a pleasure. I feel the images showcase their strength and unity.”
The Queen and Prince Philip first wed November 20, 1947 at Westminster Abbey. After lavish affairs for their past anniversaries, the couple reportedly plans to tone things down this year as they become the first royal couple to make it to the 7-decade mark. Instead, they’ll celebrate with a small group of friends and family during a private dinner at Windsor Castle on Monday night.
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