Heroines & The Crown

Portrait photograph of HM Queen Elizabeth II, on the occasion of her Accession: a half-length portrait, turned slightly to her left, face. She wears the George IV Diamond Diadem, the Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace, the star and badge of the Order of the Garter on a sash, over a satin evening dress, designed by Norman Hartnell. The Queen is also wearing a diamond and platinum bracelet that was given as a wedding present by Prince Philip. This was designed by Philip Antrobus, using stones taken a from a tiara that had belonged to Prince Philip's mother Princess Andrew of Greece. She is also holding a fan in her left hand.

Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2022 - by Dorothy Wilding

April 1952 Evening dress by Norman Hartnell. Platinum bracelet wedding present from Prince Philip.

Platinum Jubilee

Congratulations to Her Majesty the Queen on the occasion of her Platinum Jubilee

Photograph of HM Queen Elizabeth II, on the occasion of her Accession: a three-quarter length portrait, her face turned to her right. She wears the Diamond Diadem, the Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace, the star of the Order of the Garter on a sash, over a satin evening dress, designed by Norman Hartnell. The Queen is also wearing a diamond and platinum bracelet that was given as a wedding present by Prince Philip. This was designed by Philip Antrobus, using stones taken a from a tiara that had belonged to Prince Philip's mother Princess Andrew of Greece. She is also holding a fan in her left hand. A vase of flowers in background to left.

Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2022 - by Dorothy Wilding

April 1952 Evening dress by Norman Hartnell.
Platinum bracelet wedding present from Prince Philip.

Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2022 - by Dorothy Wilding

26.02.1952 First official photography sitting of the new monarch.
Commissioned by the Post Office and Royal Mint. Gown by Norman Hartnell.

The Queen is probably the most photographed person in the world, but the royal photographer closest to our hearts is Dorothy Wilding, who was born within a mile of the Heroines Hub in Gloucester. Dorothy’s accession images became the basis of the Queen’s head on coins and stamps between 1953 and 1971. Read more about Dorothy here and click here for details of our Dorothy Display.

Our favourite contemporary royal photographer is Annie Leibovitz. Copyright prevents us from showing the images, but here’s a link to them.

And a third Heroine, who has connections to Royalty, (although as far as we know, not in her capacity as a photographer) is Ursula Pariser (1917 – 2010) who was the special art advisor to the Queen in the monarch’s early reign. Did Dorothy and Ursula ever meet, we wonder?