New photograph celebrates Queen and Prince Philip’s 70th wedding anniversary
Written by News on 19/11/2017
A new photograph of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh has been released to mark their 70th wedding anniversary.
The portrait shows the couple standing side by side in the white drawing room at Windsor Castle.
Beside them in the photo are portraits of the British royal family’s previously longest married couple, George III and Queen Charlotte, who were together for 57 years.
The Queen is wearing a cream day dress by her in-house designer Angela Kelly, which she also wore at the Diamond Wedding Anniversary Service of Thanksgiving. The brooch she is wearing was given to her by Prince Philip in 1966.
The photograph was taken early in November by British photographer Matt Holyoak from Camera Press.
Camera Press was the agency that distributed the official wedding pictures back in 1947, taken by the photographer Baron, who would go on to be a close friend of Prince Philips. It was the first assignment for the new photo agency.
Mr Holyoak is a well-known portrait photographer, who has taken pictures of many famous actors, designers, musicians, and athletes for some of the worlds top magazines.
He said: "I feel very honoured 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 marriage of Princess Elizabeth to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey on 20 November 1947 attracted worldwide attention and was a big moment of celebration for post-war Britain.
On Monday, they will become the only British monarch and consort to have ever reached their platinum anniversary.
Back in October, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the Queen and Prince Philip would be marking the anniversary privately. It’s understood they’ll be hosting a party at Windsor Castle for close friends and family.
Previously significant anniversaries have been celebrated with more fanfare. For their 60th wedding anniversary in 2007 official photographs were released and a service of thanksgiving was held at Westminster Abbey.
To mark 50 years of marriage in 1997, the Queen and Prince Philip attended a lunch at Banqueting House in London.
In a speech the Queen spoke of "a remarkable 50 years", and paid tribute to her husband.
She said at the time: "He is someone who doesn’t take easily to compliments but he has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know."
(c) Sky News 2017: New photograph celebrates Queen and Prince Philip’s 70th wedding anniversary
