Featured Image Credit: TikTok/@brittoker
Topics: The Queen, Royal Family
Daisy Phillipson
Footage shows the moment Queen Elizabeth II hit back at a photographer who asked her to remove her crown.
Renowned portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz was taking shots of the royal when she decided the Queen’s getup needed a little rejig, leading to a rather awkward exchange.
In the clip shared by TikTok account Brittoker, Leibovitz says, “I think it will look better without the crown,” before adding, “It will look better, less dressy.”
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Although Her Majesty keeps schtum, she eventually breaks her regular composure to clap back, telling the photographer, “Less dressy!? What do you think this is?!” - indicating the showy robe she’s wearing.
Later on, she’s seen walking with her entourage, saying: “I’m not changing anything. I’ve done enough dressing like this, thank you very much.”
But don’t be fooled, as this moment was later confirmed to be the Queen arriving at the photoshoot, not storming off due to Leibovitz’s request.
What really went down is that they eventually came to a compromise after Leibovitz suggested taking a couple of frames with the tiara on before taking it off for the rest of the shoot.
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Speaking about the moment with Italy-based broadcasting network TV2000, royal expert Luisa Ciuni said: "At some point, this poor woman, who must have been 70 at the time, had to take official photos.
“She had her ermine mantle, the sceptre, the crown.
"And Annie Leibovitz said to her, 'Couldn't you move the fur a little bit, so it looks less dressy?' She went on a rampage, and said, 'What do you think this is?’”
Ciuni went on to discuss another event that saw Her Majesty letting her impartial mask slip, stating: "Not many years ago, Arab princes went to visit it, I believe from Saudi Arabia where women cannot drive.
"Then the Queen, in a display of rare perfidy, decided that she would accompany them to go around Balmoral, driving herself.
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"It seems this drove the prince mad because he couldn't be rude."
Last week, the usually stoic Queen shed a tear as she farewelled her late husband Prince Philip during his memorial service at Westminster Abbey.
She was accompanied by Prince Andrew as she walked down towards the front of the large church.
Prince Philip died on 9 April, 2021, aged 99, and was described at the service as a 'remarkable man' who was committed to 'down-to-earth' causes.