Royal Watch News

Queen Elizabeth honoured in Australia

Sep 28, 2012, 11:01 GMT

Queen Elizabeth

Britain's Queen Elizabeth has been honoured in Australia.

A new official portrait of the 86-year-old monarch - who is celebrating her Diamond Jubilee this year - has been unveiled at the country's National Portrait Gallery in Canberra to celebrate the upcoming 60th anniversary of her coronation in 2013.

London-based artist Ralph Heimans created the artwork - which will be on display until March 2013 as part of an exhibition entitled 'The Coronation Theatre, Westminster Abbey: A Portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II' - and he unveiled the piece earlier today (28.09.12), admitting he was keen to get across both the royal's personal and public personas in the painting.

He said: 'Through the narrative of the portrait I wanted to produce a work of particular significance for the Diamond Jubilee. By representing the queen as she reflects on this incredible milestone in her life, I wanted to explore the dynamic between her public role and the personal, emotional dimension.'

The large-scale portrait has been placed in the gallery ahead of the 60th anniversary of the queen's coronation on June 2, 2013, and it depicts Elizabeth in the Sacrarium of Westminster Abbey, which is also known as the Coronation Theatre.

The artwork shows the monarch in an imaginary scene as she is reflecting on her life while standing at the centre circle of the Cosmati pavement on the exact spot where she was crowned nearly 60 years ago.

Following the portrait's stint in Australia, it will return to London where it will be displayed in the lead up to the queen's coronation.