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An autographed signed individual portraits of H.M. The Queen and Prince Philip. Signatures to the lower mount in ink in the sitters’ hands. Contained in modern blue leather easel backed glazed frames.

 

Dorothy Wilding (1893-1976) established her studio in 1929 in Bond Street, London, where she photographed members of the Royal Family, society figures and film and theatrical stars. She was responsible for the double portrait of George VI and Queen Elizabeth that was subsequently adapted for the 1937 Coronation issue postage stamp. The same portrait also led to the award of a Royal Warrant.

 

In the present portrait the Queen is wearing a dress by Norman Hartnell together with the George IV State Diadem, insignia of the Order of the Garter, the Nizam of Hyderabad diamond necklace given to her as wedding present in 1947. The portrait was made at a photographic session in  February 1952 that also provided the images for definitive postage stamp issues known as Wilding stamps which included three out of the four 1953 Coronation stamps. Wilding’s relationship with the Royal family, as their favoured photographer, continued until her retirement in 1958. Her autobiography In Pursuit of Perfection was published that year. Her surviving archives were presented to the National Portrait Gallery in 1976 and formed the basis of a major N.P.G. retrospective exhibition and catalogue in 1991 also entitled ‘The Pursuit of Perfection’.