HRH The Princess Royal unveils portrait of HM The Queen at Westminster
20 September 2011
HRH The Princess Royal today unveiled a portrait of Her
Majesty The Queen at a
commemorative service in Westminster
Abbey.
Princess Anne was joined by Legion beneficiaries and supporters in a commemorative service at Westminster Abbey, which was followed by the official unveiling the new portrait of HM The Queen by artist Darren Baker.
One of the UK's most renowned contemporary artists, Darren Baker, was commissioned by the Legion to paint the portrait, the first since Rolf Harris's portrait in 2005, which was unveiled today in front of 300 guests.
The portrait is hyper realistic and gives the impression of being more like a photograph than an oil on canvas. The precision, skill and attention to detail of Her Majesty is remarkable and the result is one of the most true to character portraits of our Monarch this century.
Darren Baker said the commission to paint The Queen has been the greatest honour of his career and an experience he will always treasure.
"The Queen's wristwatch is set to 11:00am representing Remembrance and the spray of five poppies on The Queen's brooch highlights the poppy as an iconic symbol and ultimate reminder of the debt we owe; it was essential that this formed a central part within the portrait.
"I studied previous portraits of The Queen and drew on my knowledge of historical royal portraits from western European art. I visited the room where the sitting took place several times and I was struck by the way light filled room and accentuated the historic and regal objects.
"I felt a great sense of responsibility in completing this commission and following in a great line of royal portrait painters. My aim from the outset was to create a portrait that would capture the grace of our wonderful monarch whilst incorporating the essence of the Legion. I have the upmost respect and fondness for the Legion and the wonderful work it does for our servicemen and women" he said.
Kirianne Curley, whose husband Royal Marine Corporal Stephen Curley was killed in an IED explosion in Afghanistan in May 2010, attended the service as a special guest of the Legion. Kirianne was selected to carry the book of Remembrance from the West Door to the Altar where she presented the Book to the Dean of the Abbey, Dr John Hall.
Kirianne is using the Legion's Independent Inquest Advice service to help her through the inquest into her husband's death and she said she was honoured to attend the service in Stephen's memory.
"My husband Stephen was 26 years old when he was killed and our son, William, was just a few weeks old. I am forever grateful for the all the support the Legion has given to me and my family. Carrying the book of Remembrance is a once in a life time opportunity and a memory that I will treasure and will share with our son in the future."
Sir John Kiszely KCB MC, National President of The Royal British Legion said; "We have been waiting to see this final product for some months and it is clear Darren Baker has produced one of the most remarkably realistic portraits of our Monarch this century. The portrait clearly represents the special relationship between The Royal British Legion and The British Monarchy.
"The Legion is honoured The Queen agreed to sit for this historic portrait and it is a joy to be in the presence of The Princess Royal on this special occasion.
"As the patron of The Royal British Legion since 1953, The Queen has played an important role in shaping our values and ensuring we remain the leading Armed Forces charity in the United Kingdom," he said.
A report of the service is available on the Westminster Abbey website and includes photos and the order of service. It was also covered by ITV news including an interview with beneficiary Kirianne Curley.
