The reason the new portrait of Queen Elizabeth is so significant
Over her 64-year reign, Queen Elizabeth has had over 150 official portraits commissioned, but the latest, unveiled yesterday at Windsor Castle, now has the most significant out of all of them.
Queen Elizabeth is now the world’s longest-reigning monarch, following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. The 88-year old Thai King had reigned since 1946, making it 70 years on the throne.
The latest portrait is the first one painted since the Queen broke the world record, who already made history for becoming the longest reigning monarch in the United Kingdom last year.
For the first time, the Queen is portrayed as the patron of the British Red Cross, a charity which she has supported throughout her life. The queen is painted wearing the Queen in Garter robes, diamond earrings and a bracelet and tiara that belonged to Queen Alexandra, who enabled the Red Cross to get its royal charter by convincing her husband, King Edward VII, to present the charter to the charity in 1908.
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