LONDON — One is not amused. But the other one is.
Queen Elizabeth II’s photographic portrait unveiled Sunday features a determined look ahead and perhaps the faintest whisper of a Mona Lisa smile.
The heir to her throne, Prince Charles, stands beside his seated mother, one hand propped in the pocket of his black dinner jacket, the other behind her back. Charles’ downward gaze of smiling affection competes for attention with the queen’s serious, forward focus.
Fashion photographer Nick Knight shot the image in May inside Windsor Castle before evening celebrations at the Royal Windsor Horse Show. The queen wore a sea green and dove gray brocade dress by Angela Kelly.
Knight said he sought “to create a modern portrait that showed warmth and humanity as well as strength and tradition.”
The Queen turned 90 in April and marked the milestone with a series of events — including a private black tie banquet at Windsor Castle with her friends and loved ones.
In June, she celebrated her official birthday with a service of thanksgiving and a picnic on The Mall for 10,000 revelers.
