Terry O'Neill
HM QUEEN ELIZABETH II (POSTHUMOUS), 1992
C-type print
Posthumous edition
Printed signature, embossed estate stamped and numbered on the front
Certificate of authenticity
Posthumous edition
Printed signature, embossed estate stamped and numbered on the front
Certificate of authenticity
Edition of 50
Currency:
'I tried to think of every possible situation that could go wrong. I needed to be overly prepared. In the build-up to the actual day, I don’t remember if I...
"I tried to think of every possible situation that could go wrong. I needed to be overly prepared. In the build-up to the actual day, I don’t remember if I slept a wink."
In 1992, Terry O’Neill received an invitation to photograph the Queen for Her Majesty’s official portrait. For a working-class boy who had risen to the top of his profession, this was an honour.
"It came as a surprise to me. I never thought of myself in that league. I took photos of Hollywood and rock stars. But the Queen? I never imagined that would happen to me. When she walked into the room, she was larger than life. What I really wanted was to make her smile—I wanted the opportunity to make my photo different. I knew she liked horses, so I told her a horse-racing joke, and she laughed. That’s how I got the moment—the moment the Queen smiled at me."
In 1992, Terry O’Neill received an invitation to photograph the Queen for Her Majesty’s official portrait. For a working-class boy who had risen to the top of his profession, this was an honour.
"It came as a surprise to me. I never thought of myself in that league. I took photos of Hollywood and rock stars. But the Queen? I never imagined that would happen to me. When she walked into the room, she was larger than life. What I really wanted was to make her smile—I wanted the opportunity to make my photo different. I knew she liked horses, so I told her a horse-racing joke, and she laughed. That’s how I got the moment—the moment the Queen smiled at me."