Queen Elizabeth II Portrait Revealed, Monarch Celebrates 88th Birthday
Queen Elizabeth II is officially celebrating her 88th birthday on Monday, April 21 and released a brand new portrait marking the occasion.
The black-and-white portrait of the British monarch was taken by David Bailey and released on Sunday featuring the queen at Buckingham Palace while smiling broadly. The photographer described his subject as a "very strong woman" with "very kind eyes with a mischivious glint."
"I've always been a huge fan of the queen," Bailey added, according to the Associated Press.
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The 76-year-old photographer has been at work for decades capturing the images of a wide range of people, including actors such as Jude Law and Jack Nicholson, as well as writers and musicians, among many others. In Bailey's latest portrait, Queen Elizabeth wears pearls and a dress by Angela Kelly, her personal assistant and senior dresser of 12 years.
According to a source at Buckingham Palace, the queen agreed to sit for the portrait in support of the British government's marketing campaign aimed at encouraging tourism in Britain. The British royal family, including royal heritage and property, generates as estimated $800 million per year in spending, according to the VisitBritain tourism agency.
Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth celebrates two birthdays each year. The first occurs on her actual birthday, April 21, which is celebrated privately, while the second celebration takes place with a public ceremony in June, including a Trooping of the Color parade in London. The queen as held the British throne since she was 25 years old.
Many of the queen's fans are honoring the monarch on Monday, with posts flooding social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
"Happy Birthday to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who is 88 today," Matthew tweeted.
See photos from Queen Elizabeth's life on the official website of the British monarchy here.
