Photo of Queen aged 37 taken for commemorative stamp is up for auction

Original portrait photo of the Queen at 37 taken for a commemorative stamp to mark Royal visit to Australia in 1963 is up for auction and expected to reach £600

  • Black and white portrait shot by the late court photographer Anthony Buckley
  • Monarch pictured in profile wearing a patterned dress and a prominent necklace
  • The final stamp showed her in this position but with the addition of her tiara
  • Going under the hammer on January 14 with auctioneers William George

An original portrait photograph of the Queen taken for use on a commemorative stamp to mark her Royal visit to Australia in 1963 is up for sale 58 years later.

The black and white image of Queen Elizabeth II, now 94, was shot that year by the late court photographer Anthony Buckley.

Her Majesty, then aged 37, is wearing a patterned dress and a prominent necklace in the side profile shot.

It is now going under the hammer on Thursday (January 14) with auctioneers William George, of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, with an estimate of £600. 

An original portrait photograph of the Queen taken for use on a commemorative stamp to mark her Royal visit to Australia in 1963 is up for sale 58 years later

Buckley was commissioned by the Postmaster General of Australia as they were producing a stamp to mark her Royal visit to the country that year.

He took a range of photos of the monarch at different angles to get the best chance of one being approved.

The final stamp showed her in this position but with the addition of her tiara.

Buckley had a studio on Grosvenor Street in London in the 1960s which held the Royal Warrant.

Earlier in his career he worked with Dorothy Wilding, who took the original photo of the Queen which was used for postage stamps from 1952 to 1967.

Buckley took a range of photos of the monarch at different angles to get the best chance of one being approved. The final stamp (pictured) showed her in this position but with the addition of her tiara

The 7in by 9.5in photo was in the archive of the Royal printers Harrison & Sons which ceased trading in 1997. It has since passed into the hands of a private collector. 

A William George spokesperson said: ‘This photograph was in the archives of Harrisons the printers.

‘It is quite common for a renowned portrait photographer to take a number of photographs of their subject so that the recipient can then select the one that best suits their purposes.

Buckley was commissioned by the Postmaster General of Australia as they were producing a stamp to mark the Queen and Prince Philip’s Royal visit to the country (pictured in Wellington during their tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1963)

‘The actual stamp is similar to this photograph yet has a tiara added to Queen Elizabeth’s head profile.

‘Australia is a country with a special place in the affection of the Queen and she has visited Australia on numerous occasions from 1954 onwards.

‘Such photographs are most desirable as its a rare opportunity to acquire for a private collector material from a famous portrait photographer when much of the available material has been saved for Britain and the Commonwealth in the National (Portrait) Gallery.’ 

The Queen and Prince Philip, 99, are currently isolating at Windsor Castle. 

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