PRINCE PHILIP REVEALS TALENT FOR PAINTING

SHE HAS SAT FOR MANY AN ARTIST AND HER IMAGE HAS BEEN CAPTURED ON CANVAS COUNTLESS TIMES. BUT RARELY HAS THE QUEEN BEEN CAPTURED IN QUITE SO INFORMAL A POSE. SITTING AS A BEAUTIFULLY-LAID TABLE, READING A PAPER, WITH A FRESH LOAF OF BREAD AND A POT OF MARMALADE IN FRONT OF HER, SHE INDULGES IN A LEISURELY BREAKFAST. WHO, MAY YOU ASK, HAS HAD SUCH INTIMATE ACCESS TO THE MONARCH AT HER BREAKFAST TABLE? HER HUSBAND OF COURSE, THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH. THE DUKE IS WELL KNOWN FOR HIS APPRECIATION OF THE ARTS, BUT LESS WELL KNOWN IS HIS OWN TALENT FOR APPLYING OILS TO CANVAS. HE PAINTED THE IMAGE, ENTITLED THE QUEEN AT BREAKFAST, WINDSOR CASTLE, BACK IN 1965, AND IT HAS BEEN PART OF HIS PRIVATE COLLECTION EVER SINCE. NOW IT FEATURES AS ONE OF THE MOST SURPRISING IMAGES IN A NEW BOOK, THE ROYAL PORTRAIT IMAGE AND IMPACT, TO BE PUBLISHED BY THE ROYAL COLLECTIONS. THE PAINTING OFFERS AN INTIMATE GLIMPSE OF THE QUEEN OFF DUTY, A SECOND PLACE SETTING AT HER SIDE PRESUMABLY THE ARTISTS'. THE TABLE IS COVERED WITH A CRISP WHITE TABLECLOTH, THE PLATES, CUPS AND SAUCERS ARE WHITE CHINA. PRINCE PHILIP HIMSELF AGREED TO ALLOW THE ROYAL COLLECTION TO USE THE IMPRESSIONISTIC STUDY IN THE NEW BOOK. AUTHOR JENNIFER SCOTT, ASSISTANT CURATOR OF PAINTINGS AT THE ROYAL COLLECTION, SAID SHE WAS DELIGHTED WHEN SHE CAME ACROSS THE PAINTING AS SHE RESEARCHED THE BOOK. 'I THINK GENERALLY PEOPLE DON'T KNOWN THAT THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH PAINTS, IT'S QUITE A PRIVATE PURSUIT. I THINK IT'S A REALLY GOOD PAINTING, IT'S GOT A REAL QUALITY TO IT, IT SEEMS SUCH A PRIVATE MOMENT, THE QUEEN SITTING HAVING BREAKFAST, SHE COULD BE ANYBODY.'