Photograph showing half-length portrait of The Duke of York, later King George VI (1895-1952), on the right, beside Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, later Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (1900-2002). The couple face the camera, their bodies slightly angled to the left. Photograph cropped into an oval.

In June 1920 Prince Albert was created Duke of York. It was around this time that Prince Albert met Lady Elizabeth at a dance for the first time since 1905. After a determined courtship, Lady Elizabeth accepted the Duke’s offer of marriage on 13 January 1923. The engagement was publicly announced three days later. This photograph is part of a sitting commissioned soon after to mark the event. While some photographs were released to the press, this portrait remained private at the time.