The story behind the portrait used to announce Queen Elizabeth II’s death

When Queen Elizabeth II died on Sept. 8, the Royal Family announced her passing with an elegant black-and-white portrait.

The queen was photographed with wise eyes and a slight smile, conveying a tranquil, soothing demeanour as she looks past the camera. The Royal Family wrote that she had “died peacefully at Balmoral.”

The portraits similarly have a quiet elegance with a flash of theatrics, more pronounced in the dramatic lighting of Princess Anne’s portrait.