Queen Elizabeth II as an icon and cultural inspiration

Her hair, her handbag, her unchanging profile...these are characteristics inherent to Queen Elizabeth II and instantly recognizable by the British. While she would never consider herself a marketer, the notable monarch has created one of the most powerful personal brands, one that has inspired artists from Andy Warhol to Lucian Freud, not to mention fashion designers and filmmakers. Director Danny Boyle even made her the star of his 2012 Olympics opening ceremony, persuading her to make a dazzling appearance alongside the Bond character, played by Daniel Craig, to which his grandchildren raved: " Come on grandma!"

Her exceptionally long reign has coincided with the rise of modern pop culture. Thus, each successive generation views the Queen through the prism of her own concerns. Now that Her Majesty celebrates her 94th birthday on April 21, we walk through this colorful cultural legacy. Professor Sir David Cannadine, President of the National Portrait Gallery, describes the Queen as "the most portrayed woman in history". She's on coins and notes, and her patrician profile is so identifiable that British stamps are apparently the only ones in the world that don't need to have her country of origin printed on them.

In her 68-year reign, Elizabeth II has amassed some 200 portraits, beginning with that of the gloriously dreamy Cecil Beaton from the coronation in 1953. Holding the Sovereign's Scepter and jewel-encrusted Orb with the Bracelets of Candor and Wisdom Circling her wrists, the new Queen, then only 25 years old, combined royal splendor with youthful radiance. Running into the society photographer before the big day, at a gala at the American embassy, ​​she had confessed to being nervous. "I'm so glad you're taking the photos. But by the time you're done, we'll have circles up to here," she said, pointing to imaginary bags under her eyes.

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Before the goal of Annie Leibovitz

Of course, she had no cause for concern. The images infused hope and glamor into a nation still reeling from war. Just as charming it was, many years later, when she posed for Annie Leibovitz with her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren to celebrate her 90th birthday. The tender portrait reflected the importance of family to the Queen and hinted at the passing of the post to a new generation when Princess Anne's little granddaughter, Mia Tindall, clutched the famous bag. The American photographer had first captured the image of the British sovereign in 2007, before her state visit to the White House during the presidency of George W. Bush.

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For the Queen, the choice of photographer has never been accidental. She knew very well that posing for Annie, who also photographed Miley Cyrus and the Rolling Stones and took the last photo of John Lennon hours before his death, would draw attention to her trip to the United States. Although she refused the artist's request to take photos of her on horseback inside the State Apartments, the images remain the most amazing ever made.

She gave carte blanche to one of the UK's greatest artists, Lucian Freud, when, as a gift, he offered to paint the queen and captured her on canvas with a stern expression. The work, done in the artist's intense and penetrating style, divided the press and art critics. The Times described her as "painful, brave, honest, stoic and, above all, clear-sighted", but the verdict of Arthur Edwards, one of the most respected members of the royal press corps, was: "Freud should be locked up in the Tower for this".

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@BrightPacheco @MII_pod @GinaGrumke @CrimeReads & I've had experience being told how to talk/not talk to the media… https://t.co/e2sVbtzQRL

— Mh Tue Jul 27 18:46:27 +0000 2021

Alison Jackson uses models of great physical resemblance to create scenes emulating famous characters. They are so realistic that they force you to turn around to see them again. In one portrait we see the Queen heading to the ATM with the corgis, in another changing Prince George's diaper, in yet another we see her under the hair dryer in the beauty salon, wearing her royal attire and accompanied by Camilla and Kate. "You turn people into objects, which is delightful as a viewer, because then you can fantasize," Alison explains her work. "You can project your own fantasies onto the play."

the queen of punk

The tongue-in-cheek portrayals of her owe much to the 1980 satirical puppet television show Spitting Image, which depicted a royal matriarch uncharacteristically impatient with her subjects, yawning or even screaming as she participated in public events. This less reverential trend started with punk iconoclast Jamie Reid, who showed her off with a safety pin in her lip. The Sex Pistols hired him to do the images for the cover of their 1977 single God Save the Queen. What was utterly rebellious then seems meek, even affectionate now, a sign of how intertwined the monarchy is with the British popular imagination. Nearly four decades later, the Sex Pistols cover was included in a Diamond Jubilee exhibition.

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The work of artists like Jamie Reid and the street painter Pegasus, who depicted the Queen as a sultry model in high heels over the door of a bar in Islington, says more about us than about her. This was surely the meaning of the Jubilee exhibition, which, said curator Paul Moorhouse, explored "how changing images of the Queen act as a kind of lens through which to view changes in our society and changes in artistic values.

The exhibition also featured Hew Locke's Medusa sculpture, in which metal, plastic and textiles were assembled into the Queen's profile referencing the textbooks of her youth in pre-Independence Guyana that they kept your image; Chris Levine's Lightness of Being, which shows the monarch with her eyes closed in a moment of stillness, and Justin Mortimer's The Queen, who decapitated the sovereign so that her head would mysteriously float away from her body. she.

Her Majesty posed for Justin Mortimer in 1998, after Princess Diana's death, as part of an attempt to project a more modern image. Just as she sought to renew her relationship with the citizens, the people seek to understand the monarchy as an institution and the burdens placed on them as an individual. Hence the large number of productions such as The Queen, a film about the week of Diana's death; The Audience, a stage play that takes viewers inside his weekly meetings with prime ministers, and the hit Netflix series The Crown. Such is its popularity that Prince William joked about it at the BAFTAs: "I am alarmed by the number of winners in the last decade who have portrayed members of my own family."

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A benchmark of style

Perhaps the most intriguing impact the sovereign has had is on the world of fashion. Whenever you see a tribute to British heritage style, a parade featuring models in silk scarves, or casual country glamour, you're likely to picture the Queen. This was the case for Dolce & Gabbana's Fall 2008 collection at London Fashion Week 2018, which the sovereign gave a stamp of approval by sitting in the front row of Richard Quinn's show. Even menswear had its influence with the MSGM brand's 2017 show in Milan.

"The Queen is one of the most peculiar people in the world," says Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele. “She is very inspiring. It's clear she loves colour." Her signature trait of wearing powerful solid colors has recently been taken on by Michelle Obama, Melania Trump, the Duchess of Cambridge and even in Meghan's farewell wardrobe we can find an explosion of colour.

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In her twilight years, after fulfilling her obligation to act as patron of artists and inspiration to the nation, the Queen is willing to share the less serious side of her. When dressmaker Angela Kelly suggested a more casual photo shoot, Her Majesty agreed and she boldly posed with her hands in her pockets. Similarly, when Prince Harry enlisted his grandmother's help in a Twitter confrontation with the Obamas before the Invictus Games, Elizabeth II did not hesitate to respond humorously to the American president's challenge. Harry, making the gesture of throwing the microphone at the end said it all: the Queen knows her power as an authority figure and in a very personal way, she also enjoys the image of her.

Click to see the documentary about Elizabeth II, hers, a monographic chapter about her from the Royals series. You can see more on the new video platform HELLO! PLAY, where you will find programs on cooking, fashion, decoration and biographical documentaries of 'royals' and 'celebrities'. Do not miss it!