The Britain’s Royal Family have released what has now become the last portrait of Queen Elizabeth who died on Thursday, 8 September, at the age of 96.
On Sunday, the eve of her state funeral on Monday, Buckingham Palace released the new and final portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
Photographed by Ranald Mackechnie, it shows the late monarch in a powder blue suit, smiling ear-to-ear. She wears her signature three-strand pearl necklace and matching earrings. Pinned to her chest is an aquamarine brooch that was a present from her father, King George, for her 18th birthday.
The release of the poignant photograph comes hours after the United Kingdom observed a minute of silence in her memory at 8 p.m. this evening.
“Ahead of Her Majesty The Queen’s State Funeral, a new photograph has been released”, said the tweet by the royal family.
“The photo was taken to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee – the first British Monarch to reach this milestone.
“Tomorrow, millions will come together to commemorate her remarkable life”, the statement added.
Many world leaders, including Nigeria’s Vice President Yemi Osinbajo are attending the funeral of inimitable pageantry.
At 6.30 a.m. (0530 GMT), an official lying-in-state period ends after four days in which hundreds of thousands have queued to file past the casket of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch at London’s historic Westminster Hall.
Shortly before 11 a.m., the oak coffin, covered in the Royal Standard flag with the Imperial State Crown on top, will be placed on a gun carriage and pulled by naval personnel to Westminster Abbey for her funeral.