Queen Elizabeth II poses for the cover of Vanity Fair's latest issue as a means of commemorating her milestone birthday. A moment that was captured by none other than esteemed photographer, Annie Leibovitz.
"The
most moving, important thing about this shoot is that these were all her
ideas," Leibovitz said of photographing the Queen in her home at Windsor
Castle. "She wanted to be photographed with her grandchildren and
great-grandchildren; her husband, Prince
Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh; her daughter, Anne, the Princess Royal; and her
corgis."
Leibovitz added, "I was told
how relaxed she was at Windsor, and it was really true. You get the sense of
how at peace she was with herself, and very much enthralled with her
family."
For
the cover, the Queen poses with four of her famous corgi dogs. She holds Holly on her lap while Willow, Vulcan,
and Candy sit on the
floor. The latter pups are both dorgis—a crossbreed between a corgi and
a dachshund that belonged to her sister, Princess
Margaret.
Corgis have been a big part of
the Queen's life since her childhood, which explains why Vanity
Fair chose this as the cover of the important issue. In fact,
in 1949, the matriarch started a program of royal corgi breeding from
her first puppy named Susan.
The Queen herself oversaw this program over five decades.
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