Prince Philip reveals talent for art - with portrait of the Queen
He is better known for his sharp tongue and the occasional gaffe. But today Prince Philip's skill as an artist is revealed with the publication of his private portrait of the Queen.
The image dates from 1965 and was painted as the Queen took breakfast in Windsor Castle. It shows her reading the paper, a loaf of brown bread and jar of marmalade laid out before her. A second place-setting, probably Philip's, is untouched.
The painting is from the Duke of Edinburgh's private collection and sheds light on a previously-unknown passion for painting, although he has an art collection. Unusually for a portrait of the Queen, she is not the main focus of the picture.
It will appear in a book by Jennifer Scott, The Royal Portrait: Image And Impact, to be published on Monday. She said: "This is a very strong painting. I found it a very, very personal portrait of the Queen. I love the fact it's an interior — he takes us into a private part of Windsor Castle."
The book includes a portrait of Queen Victoria and her children and the negative from which the image was shot. She did not like it and later smudged her face to prevent more copies being made.
