With more than 1,000 official portraits, and numerous unofficial ones, Queen Elizabeth II is one of the most depicted women in the world.
The monarch recently added another to her vast collection, her official portrait to mark her platinum jubilee.
While most portraits painted or photographed during her 70-year reign have followed protocol, or at the very least an expected etiquette, a few have raised eyebrows and caused heated debates along the way.
The Queen by Lucien Freud, unveiled in 2001, was deemed “extremely unflattering” by The Telegraph, because of its realistic portrayal, while an offering by Justin Mortimer in 1997, which was commissioned by the Royal Society of Artists, showed the queen’s head not attached to her body.
“I wanted to get away from the royal aspect and paint a picture of a person rather than the queen,” he said.
There was also an unofficial painting this year, by a humanoid robot, who created a piece using AI technology.
From favourite photographers to monarchs who used their portraits to send global messages, here’s an insight into why the official pictures are so important.
Who has painted the queen?
The queen has sat for many artists through the years, with Pietro Annigoni, Nicky Phipps and Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy all having been called upon.
Freud’s sitting took 18 months to finish. It was completed in 2001, but immediately became divisive over how he had captured the monarch.
Queen Elizabeth has also posed for celebrated photographers, such as Cecil Beaton, who photographed her many times and was also called upon to capture the royal babies.
Celebrated American photographer Annie Leibovitz photographed the queen twice, first time in 2007, when she became the first American to be asked to create an official portrait.
“I felt that because I was an American I had an advantage over every other photographer or painter who had made a portrait of her,” she said. “It was OK for me to be reverent.”
Among the most famous unofficial portraits are the Andy Warhol screen prints of images of the monarch from her silver jubilee which, although unsanctioned, were later bought by the Royal Collection.
Why are portraits of the queen commissioned?
Portraits of the queen are commissioned for a number of official purposes.
They may be used as photographs during state visits, or to mark a particular anniversary. They are also often displayed in public and used on coins, banknotes and stamps.
The first portrait of Queen Elizabeth to appear on a coin was in 1953 — her coronation year — when sculptor and medallist Mary Gillick worked from a portrait that society photographer Dorothy Wilding had shot of the young queen in profile. Gillick’s work became known as The First Definitive Coinage Portrait, 1953.
When did royals first start having portraits done?
Portraiture in England grew in the mid-15th century during the Tudor period. Notable portrait artists of the time include Hans Holbein the Younger and Lucas Horenbout, already established names in Europe.
During Henry VII’s reign, from 1485 to 1509, there was a rise in realistic portraiture after the widowed monarch commissioned a piece with the hopes of securing a new wife. It was Henry VII’s son, Henry VIII, who heralded the popularity of the art bringing portraitists to England from Germany and the Netherlands.
By 1536, Henry VIII had employed Holbein the Younger as his court painter, and the artist would depict the king many times, along with his wives Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves and Catherine Howard.
Elizabeth I – the world’s first influencer?
Crowned queen on January 15, 1559, Elizabeth I used her portraits not only to show her power, but also to promote her purity as “The Virgin Queen”. She also saw to it that her portraits evolved throughout her 45-year reign.
In one of the most famous, the Ditchley Portrait, in which she wears a vast bejewelled white gown, she stands on a globe with her feet firmly in England.
Each new piece included further symbolism to portray how she wanted to be seen, manipulating her image in a way that we similarly see social media influencers doing today.
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Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
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- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Brief scores:
Day 2
England: 277 & 19-0
West Indies: 154
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Specs
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Range: Up to 610km
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The specs: 2018 Renault Megane
Price, base / as tested Dh52,900 / Dh59,200
Engine 1.6L in-line four-cylinder
Transmission Continuously variable transmission
Power 115hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 156Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.6L / 100km
THE DETAILS
Kaala
Dir: Pa. Ranjith
Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
Rating: 1.5/5
ABU DHABI CARD
5pm: UAE Martyrs Cup (TB) Conditions; Dh90,000; 2,200m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap; Dh70,000; 1,400m
6pm: UAE Matyrs Trophy (PA) Maiden; Dh80,000; 1,600m
6.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Apprentice Championship (PA) Prestige; Dh100,000; 1,600m
7pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Ladies World Championship (PA) Prestige; Dh125,000; 1,600m
8pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (PA) Group 1; Dh5,000,000; 1,600m
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
The team
Photographer: Mateusz Stefanowski at Art Factory
Videographer: Jear Valasquez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Model: Randa at Art Factory Videographer’s assistant: Zanong Magat
Photographer’s assistant: Sophia Shlykova
With thanks to Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Fifa Club World Cup:
When: December 6-16
Where: Games to take place at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi and Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain
Defending champions: Real Madrid
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures and results:
Monday, UAE won by three wickets
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Try out the test yourself
Q1 Suppose you had $100 in a savings account and the interest rate was 2 per cent per year. After five years, how much do you think you would have in the account if you left the money to grow?
a) More than $102
b) Exactly $102
c) Less than $102
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q2 Imagine that the interest rate on your savings account was 1 per cent per year and inflation was 2 per cent per year. After one year, how much would you be able to buy with the money in this account?
a) More than today
b) Exactly the same as today
c) Less than today
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q4 Do you think that the following statement is true or false? “Buying a single company stock usually provides a safer return than a stock mutual fund.”
a) True
b) False
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
The “Big Three” financial literacy questions were created by Professors Annamaria Lusardi of the George Washington School of Business and Olivia Mitchell, of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Answers: Q1 More than $102 (compound interest). Q2 Less than today (inflation). Q3 False (diversification).
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
