The private life of the Queen Elizabeth: Intimate and rarely seen photographs show Her Majesty's more relaxed side
- New book has smiling and rare pictures of Queen Elizabeth II as a glamorous young woman
- Some of the images were discovered in rolls of film more than 60 years after they were first taken
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Whether laughing as she drives her children, beaming as she boards a plane beside her husband, or captured half-smiling in glamorous official pose, this set of rare and touchingly intimate pictures show Queen Elizabeth II as we have rarely seen her before.
The images, some of which were snapped by bystanders, others taken by famous names, will be unveiled in a comprehensive book published this week commemorating the long reign of Queen Elizabeth.
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A picture from 1957, taken at Windsor, Berkshire, shows Queen Elizabeth II driving children Prince Charles and Princess Anne, watched by a group of onlookers. It has been released as a part of a set of rare and touchingly intimate pictures
King George VI and the Queen Mother (right) relax in the gardens of the Royal Lodge at Windsor with Princesses Elizabeth (second left) and Margaret (second right)
Coronation: Elizabeth II moments after she is crowned Queen on June 2, 1953
The £99 book, publisher Taschen, features previously unseen pictures, having only been unearthed during research by the book's editor, Reuel Golden
Some of the shots were previously unseen, having only been unearthed during research by the book's editor, Reuel Golden.
One of the royal couple waving goodbye from the steps of a jet returning from a tour of the West Indies in 1966, taken by Glaswegian royal photographer Harry Benson, was found undeveloped in a roll of archived film.
The £99 book, from high-end publisher Taschen, is aimed at an international as well as British market.
It features the work of Sir Cecil Beaton, Yousuf Karsh and Lords Snowdon and Lichfield, as well as that of more contemporary photographers Wolfgang Tillmans, Rankin and Annie Leibovitz.
Golden has included images of the Queen meeting leading figures of the 20th century, including the Beatles and John F Kennedy.
In one image from 1956, Marilyn Monroe can be seen in a shimmery low cut dress with full-length gloves as she waits her turn in a line of stars at the premiere of The Battle of the River Plate in Leicester Square to meet Queen Elizabeth.
One particularly touching image shows the Queen driving through Windsor in her Daimler in 1957, with a young Prince Charles in the front seat and Princess Anne in the back.
Mr Golden, a former editor of the British Journal of Photography, who now lives in New York, told the Observer: 'While there have been a few books on the subject this year, there's never been anything quite like this book.'
He added: 'The formal portraiture has to be an important part of the book.
But we also wanted to convey the relentless travelling, the rituals of meeting and greeting, whether it be in Ghana, France or the US - especially, in the 1950s to 1960s, when she was perceived as a glamorous figure, who would draw huge crowds wherever she went.'
Publishers Taschen said: 'Born in 1926, married in 1947, crowned as Queen in 1953, for over six decades she has steadfastly and loyally carried out her duty on behalf of her country, never speaking out of turn or putting a foot wrong.
'The book tells her remarkable royal story through hundreds of stunning photographs, many previously unseen and sourced from multiple archives in the United Kingdom (including the Royal Collection), Continental Europe, and the United States.
'These images have it all: history, politics, glamour, fashion, culture, travel, and, of course, hats.'
A night with the stars: Marilyn Monroe, pictured far right in a shimmering gown and elbow-length gloves, waits her tun to meet Queen Elizabeth at the premiere of The Battle of the River Plate in Leicester Square in 1956
Growing older gracefully: Princess Elizabeth, aged 20, in her sitting room at Buckingham Palace on July 19, 1946, and years later as Queen at the Banquet and Ball of the 16th/5th Royal Lancers Regiment of which the she is Colonel-in-Chief at London's Hyde Park Hotel
The Queen arrives in Suva, Fiji, on board the Royal yacht and is presented a bouquet of flowers by Fijian girl Adi Kaunilotuma during a visit in February 1963
The Queen and Prince Philip visit the coal mining village of Aberfan in Wales after a landslide claimed the lives of 144 people in 1966
Flying Highness: The Queen and Philip prepare to board a plane during their visit to the West Indies in 1957
Global appeal: A specially designed illustrated map of the Queen's Commonwealth tour of 1953-54
On camera: The Queen poses for a photographic portrait at Buckingham Palace
Commemoration: A Portrait of the Queen early in her reign and a decorated flag created to recognise her jubilee
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2241857/The-private-life-Queen-Intimate-rarely-seen-photographs-Elizabeths-softer-side.html#ixzz2E1ziylP6
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