QUEEN ELIZABETH II POSES FOR CUNARD PORTRAIT COMMISSION

THE QUEEN HAS POSED FOR A NEW PORTRAIT IN THE SAME DIAMOND NECKLACE AND EARRINGS THAT SHE WORE FOR HER CORONATION. THE JEWELRY, MADE FOR QUEEN VICTORIA, APPEARS IN A STUNNING PAINTING COMMISSIONED FOR THE LAUNCH OF A CRUISE SHIP. IT WAS PAINTED BY ISOBEL PEACHY, WHO AGED 31 IS THE YOUNGEST FEMALE ARTIST FOR WHOM THE MONARCH HAS SAT. SHE WAS COMMISSIONED BY CUNARD, THE SHIPPING COMPANY, WHO WILL DISPLAY THE PORTRAIT ON THE QUEEN ELIZABETH LINER. TEH QUEEN WILL SEE THE FINISHED PORTRAIT FOR THE FIRST TIME WHEN SHE NAMES THE SHIP AT A CEREMONY NEXT MONTH IN SOUTHAMPTON. TEH PICTURE, SET IN THE YELLOW DRAWING ROOM IN BUCKINGHAM PALACE, SHOWS TEH QUEEN DRESSED IN A PALE BLUE GOWN. IT IS UNDERSTOOD SHE POSED FOR THREE SITTINGS OVER SEVERAL MONTHS FOR THE PORTRAIT. PEACHY, AN AWARD-WINNING PORTRAIT ARTIST, HAD NEVER BEEN COMMISSIONED TO PAINT A ROYAL PORTRAIT BEFORE. SHE SAID: 'AT MY INTERVIEW WITH CUNARD, I ANSWERED MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW I WOULD APPROACH AN IMPORTANT COMMISSION, BUT IT WAS ONLY AT THE END OF THE INTERVIEW THAT THE SUBJECT WAS REVEALED AS THE QUEEN. THIS WAS BOTH A CHOCK AND A MARVELOUS SURPRISE.' IN ORDER TO KEEP THE IDENTITY OF THE PORTRAIT SECRET WHILE IT WAS BEING COMPLETED PEACHY WAS UNABLE TO WORK IN HER USUAL SHARED STUDIO. INSTEAD SHE FINISHED THE PICTURE FROM THE ATTIC OF HER MOTHER'S HOME IN WEST LONDON. CUNARD TRADITIONALLY COMMISSIONS SCULPTURES OR PORTRAITS TO BE KEPT ON BOARD EACH SHIP NAMED BY A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL FAMILY. THE ARTIST OSWALD BIRLEY PAINTED THE LATE QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER TO HANG ON THE ORIGINAL QUEEN ELIZABETH WHICH WAS BUILT IN 1940 AND LATER SOLD IN 1968. A BUST OF THE CURRENT WAS COMMISSIONED FOR THE QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 (QE2) FROM OSCAR NEMON IN 1969. THE SHIP WAS SOLD IN 2008 BUT THE BUST WAS KEPT. IT WILL BE DISPLAYED ALONGSIDE THE NEW PORTRAIT ON THE NEW QUEEN ELIZABETH SHIP WHOSE MAIDEN VOYAGE WILL BE A COMMERCIAL CRUISE TO THE CANARIES. TEH PORTRAIT WILL BE DISPLAYED IN PROMINENT POSITION IN THE GRAND LOBBY OF THE QUEEN ELIZABETH.