Photograph of Queen Elizabeth II standing in the White Drawing Room, Buckingham Palace. The Queen wears the Grand Duchess Vladimir tiara and faces three-quarters right.

Taken in the White Drawing Room, this photograph shows the queen wears a turquoise gown designed by Hardy Amies, which had been designed for the State Visit to Germany in 1965, and the Vladimir Tiara. When recalling this particular part of the photographic session, Cecil Beaton noted in his diary that ‘The sun was now shining for the rest of the afternoon … Everywhere were sparkling possibilities.’

The portrait was released to the press the following year to mark the monarch’s 43rd birthday. This was Beaton’s last sitting with Queen Elizabeth II.