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The Queen by Cecil Beaton Exhibition

The Queen by Cecil Beaton Exhibition

When
08 February 2012 -
22 April 2012

10am - 6pm

Where
Victoria and Albert Museum

Nearest Tube
South Kensington

Cost
tbc

Age Restrictions
n/a

The Queen by Cecil Beaton exhibition takes place at the V&A Museum during 2012 to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee. Showcasing a selection of stunning pictures of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II from days of her teenage princesshood to her current role as reigning monarch, this exhibition will no doubt be one of the highlights of the celebratory events.

The Queen by Cecil Beaton
Capturing significant moments throughout her life, such as periods during the war, her coronation and on the birth of her children. Captured over three decades, the photos taken by Beaton illustrate not only the changing attitude towards the monarch over time, but also the siginificant shifts in styles of photography.

From princess to queen
The very first photo of the Queen by Cecil Beaton in the exhibition was taken in 1942, when the princess was still a teenager. Taken at Buckingham Palace, the photo shows the princess as the Colonel of the Grenadier Guards with military badge on her lapel and hatband. Other later works also included on the exhibition show the Queen in her coronation robes, with the newly born Prince Andrew and in full regalia in black and white, from 1968.

Artist and photographer
Cecil Beaton was renowned as one of the best photographers of his day and alongside all the photos of the queen included in the exhibition, there are also extracts from his diaries, letters, and notes on the sittings. Giving visitors a unique insight into the process of taking photos of royality, from the highly staged to the less formal, the Queen by Cecil Beaton exhibition also allows you to see a selection of original contact sheets from which the Palace chose which ones to use. To round off the show, a special section is dedicated to portraits of Cecil Beaton himself taken by other famous photographers such as Curtis Moffat, Irving Penn and David Bailey.

Diamond Jubilee celebrations
Asides from the special exhibition of Queen photos at the V&A, many other Diamond Jubilee events are taking place in London throughout 2012 to mark the occassion. Alongside a specially extended bank holiday in June, fans of the Queen can also catch a special Thames river pageant, a gun salute at London Bridge, and an exhibition of royal diamonds at Buckingham Palace. For more information about other Jubilee events, click on the link below.

Queens Diamond Jubilee London

The Queen by Cecil Beaton exhibition at V&A Museum takes place from Wednesday 8th February - Sunday 22nd April 2012.

Heart of the Great Alone at Queens Gallery

Tacita Dean at Tate Modern

Lauren Child Exhibition London

Lucian Freud Exhibition London

Queens Diamond Jubilee London

Queens Jubilee London

Queens Jubilee Bank Holiday Events

War Horse Exhibition London

Spider Silk Scarf at V&A

Picasso Exhibition London

Picasso at Tate Britain

Bauhaus Exhibition London

Damien Hirst at Tate Modern

Diamond Jubilee Celebration Exhibition

Edvard Munch Exhibition London

Leonardo da Vinci at Queens Gallery

The Queen at National Portrait Gallery

Shakespeare Exhibition at British Museum