From James Bond to Paddington Bear: A look at the Queen's most memorable cultural moments

On Thursday 8 September 2022, the Royal Household introduced that Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully at Balmoral Fort, aged 96. 

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, who got here to the throne in 1952, grew to become the UK's longest-serving monarch, after reigning for 70 years. 

However she is not going to solely be remembered within the historical past books, but additionally for the influence she had in mainstream media as a popular culture icon.

From being immortalised by a few of the world's most well-known artists, together with Andy Warhol and Banksy, to that includes alongside aspect Paddington Bear in a sketch for her Platinum Jubilee live performance, the Queen's picture will likely be remembered for ever. 

Let's check out how Her Majesty grew to become one of popular culture's most well-known icons.

A muse for artists

Andrew Matthews/AP
4 Andy Warhol portraits of Queen Elizabeth IIAndrew Matthews/AP

The Queen’s picture has been captured numerous instances by a few of the world's most celebrated artists and photographers, together with Banksy, Lucian Freud, Chris Levine and Annie Leibovitz. 

For every of her greater than 200 official Royal Assortment portraits, the artist was handpicked and their model accepted by Buckingham Palace.

A number of the most recognisable portraits of the Queen had been created by the main determine of the pop artwork motion, Andy Warhol. 

Warhol accomplished a collection of 4 vibrant silk-screened portraits of Queen Elizabeth as a part of his 'Reigning Queens' venture - which additionally featured portraits of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Queen Ntombi Twala of Swaziland and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

His photographs had been based mostly on a photograph of the British monarch taken by Peter Grunion at Windsor Fort on 2 April 1975 for the Silver Jubilee. 

4 of Warhol's prints had been ultimately bought by the Royal Assortment for the sixtieth anniversary of the Queen's coronation, regardless of being the one portraits of the Queen within the assortment that she didn't sit for. 

Assembly the celebs

AP Photo
Queen Elizabeth and Marilyn Monroe on the Royal Movie Efficiency of 'The Battle of the River Plate' in 1956AP Photograph

All through her life, Queen Elizabeth II rubbed shoulders with some of popular culture's greatest stars at numerous public occasions, together with Meryl Streep, Franke Sinatra, Madonna, Daniel Craig and Paul McCartney. 

In the summertime of 1956, the Queen made one in every of her most starry encounters when she met nose to nose with Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe. 

The 2 iconic girls (who had been each 30 on the time) met on the Royal Movie Efficiency of 'The Battle of the River Plate' on the Empire Theatre in London's Leicester Sq.. 

They shook one another palms and chatted for a number of minutes about being neighbours and the city of Windsor (Monroe was dwelling in Englefield Inexperienced on the time, simply 4 miles from Windsor Fort). 

Portrayals in movie and TV

AP Photo
Claire Foy portraying Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown (Netflix)AP Photograph

There are few individuals who have been portrayed on the large display greater than Queen.

In 2006, Helen Mirren received an Academy Award for her portrayal of the British monarch in Stephen Frears’ movie, 'The Queen'. 

The film is arguably one of the profitable movies that the Queen has been fictionalised in - having acquired excessive reward from critics and even an Oscar nomination for Finest Image.

Her picture has additionally made some relatively uncommon movie cameos, reminiscent of within the animated film 'Minions' (2015), the place she fights off a minion attempting to steal her crown. 

There's the truth is a complete animated movie titled, 'The Queen's Corgi' (2019 ), which follows the adventures of Rex, voiced by Jack Whitehall, a corgi who will get misplaced exterior the palace. 

Quite a few tv collection have additionally portrayed the Queen - from temporary appearances in Physician Who and the Simpsons, to Netflix's essential acclaimed and vastly profitable 'The Crown', the place she is performed by Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, and Imelda Staunton. 

Actual life on-screen appearances

Credit: BBC
The Queen and Paddington Bear get pleasure from afternoon tea as a part of a sketch for the Platinum Jubilee live performanceCredit score: BBC

The Queen did not at all times want actors to play her - she made a number of memorable on-screen appearances herself. 

One such event was in the course of the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics, when she made an surprising look in a comedy skit alongside Daniel Craig taking part in James Bond

In the course of the sketch, the fictional spy escorts the Queen and her corgis, from Buckingham Palace to the Olympics in a helicopter.

The Queen reportedly saved her involvement within the scene secret from her household. 

Comparably, the Queen most lately appeared in a lighthearted sketch with Paddington Bear for the Platinum Occasion on the Palace (celebrating the Platinum Jubilee). 

Within the brief clip, the 2 share afternoon tea inside Buckingham Palace and talk about the mutual love for Marmalade sandwiches. 

The Paddington Bear twitter account lately shared this emotional callback to the skit in wake of the Queen's loss of life.

Post a Comment

Previous Post Next Post