From Queen of England to cover girl, is there anything this 90-year-old royal can’t do?
Sitting comfortably in the lush gardens of her Windsor Castle home, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch posed happily in a stunning Vanity Fair cover shot by iconic photographer, Annie Leibovitz.
Her Majesty graces the summer issue of Vanity Fair for the second time.
Perched on a bench covered by a blue blanket, Queen Elizabeth II is surrounded by her four loyal corgis and dorgies Willow, Vulcan, Candy and Holly.
And it was an idea thought up by the Queen herself!
“The most moving, important thing about this shoot is that these were all her ideas,” Annie, 66, said to Vanity Fair.
“She wanted to be photographed with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren; her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh; her daughter, Anne, the Princess Royal; and her corgis.”
The 90-year-old has always adored her corgis.
“I was told how relaxed she was at Windsor, and it was really true. You get the sense of how at peace she was with herself, and very much enthralled with her family.”
The photographer, who previously shot stunning portraits of the monarch in her home almost a decade ago, was referring to the jaw-dropping family portraits released in late April to mark the Queen’s 90th birthday.
A particularly intimate family portrait showed Her Majesty with her five great-grandchildren and her two youngest grandchildren, sitting in the Green Drawing Room of Windsor Castle.
As the youngest, little Charlotte sat atop her great-grandmother’s knee whilst cheeky George proudly showed off his knee-high socks next to them.
And if the snap wasn’t already sweet enough, two-year-old Mia Tindall was pictured clinging to the monarch’s handbag as if it were a prized possession – a moment that was recently revealed as totally unplanned.
The new issue of Vanity Fair (which is bound to include more incredible photographs!) will hit UK newsstands later this week.
Watch Mike Tindall talk about his cheeky daughter’s role in the royal snap, in the video player below.
