To mark her latest milestone, a poignant photograph of her wearing a suite of sapphire jewellery given to her by her father King George VI as a wedding gift in 1947 has been issued.
Sapphire is the 65th anniversary gemstone and the King’s gift to his eldest daughter, then Princess Elizabeth, featured a glittering necklace, dating from 1850
and made of 16 large oblong sapphires surrounded by diamonds, with a pair of matching sapphire and diamond drop earrings.
The newly released portrait was taken by David Bailey in 2014, for the Government’s ‘Great’ campaign, which aims to promote the United Kingdom abroad.