Ahead of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh’s 70th wedding anniversary, the British Royal Family released a new portrait of the couple taken at Windsor Castle.
The photo was taken by British photographer Matt Holyoak and posted on the family’s social media pages. It was taken in the White Drawing Room earlier this month, with Thomas Gainsborough’s 1781 portraits of King George III and Queen Charlotte. They were married for 57 years.
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Queen Elizabeth is seen wearing an Angela Kelly cream day dress, notes PEOPLE.
“I feel very honored and privileged to have been asked to contribute to this very special occasion,” Holyoak said in a statement. “My vision for the image was to capture an intimate and natural portrait of the Queen and Duke to celebrate their landmark anniversary. The Queen and the Duke were very happy and relaxed which made it a pleasure. I feel the images showcase their strength and unity.”
The Queen and Prince Philip, then Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, got married on Nov. 20, 1947 at Westminster Abbey. They first met at the 1934 wedding of Princess Maria of Greece and Denmark and Prince George, Duke of Kent. They were only engaged for four months before their wedding.
Elizabeth had eight bridesmaids at the wedding, including her sister, the late Princess Margaret. Philip’s first cousin, the late David Mountbatten, was his best man.
The photo’s release comes at a time when the 91-year-old Elizabeth and the 96-year-old Philip have started dialing down their public appearances. The Royal Family announced Philip’s retirement from public appearances in March.
During his seven decades as the Queen’s husband, Philip delivered 5,493 speeches. He famously referred to himself as the “world’s most experienced plaque unveiler.”
Elizabeth is the longest-reigning monarch in British history. She’s been Queen since February 1952.
Photo credit: Facebook / The Royal Family