In a royal first, Queen Elizabeth II joins virtual unveiling of her portrait

Queen Elizabeth II became the first member of the British Royal family to witness a portrait of themselves being unveiled virtually. Following the recommendations of the UK government on remote working and social distancing, the 94-year-old Queen joined on a video call with artist Miriam Escofet who created the portrait.

“I’m glad I’ve had the chance to see it. I hope I’ll see it in real life one day, “ the Queen told Escofet over a video call, which is posted now on the social media handle of the royal family.

Meanwhile, the artist said that it was a huge honour to paint a portrait of the Queen.

“It was a huge honour to paint a portrait of Her Majesty and to join The Queen to unveil the portrait virtually. I wanted the portrait to capture Her Majesty’s humanity, her radiance and her warmth, which came through so strongly in the two portrait sittings,” she said in a press statement.

The portrait was commissioned by the UK Foreign Office new portrait for her contribution to British diplomacy, having visited over 100 countries throughout her reign.

“This beautiful new portrait is a tribute to her lifetime of service and we’re glad our many visitors will see it for years to come,” the office said in a statement.

As of now, the portrait is kept for display at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, a new ministry formed by the merging of the FCO and the Department for International Development.