Photograph of a full length colour portrait of Queen Elizabeth II seated in the White Drawing Room, Buckingham Palace. She faces three-quarters to the right and wears evening dress, fur stole and the Queen Mary's Girls or Great Britain and Ireland tiara. On her right, the window stands open, exposing a partial view of the Palace garden.

A series of four photographs were commissioned by the Royal Household from the American photographer Annie Leibovitz to mark The Queen’s State Visit to the United States of America in 2007.

For this contemplative portrait of the queen, Annie Leibovitz has added a stole. As well as introducing a further texture, the fur adds dynamism to the image by capturing the breeze from the open window.

In preparation for this commission, Leibovitz studied Cecil Beaton’s first sitting with Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and his last with Queen Elizabeth II, drawing on the use of both the garden and boat cloak. Leibovitz recounts, ‘When I told her I was using Beaton as a reference for working at Buckingham Palace, she said “You have to find your own way”.’