Cecil Beaton’s unseen letters go on display in show marking a century of royal portrait photography

Unseen letters from Sir Cecil Beaton to one of the Queen Mother’s ladies-in-waiting will go on display in a new Buckingham Palace exhibition marking a century of Royal portrait photography.

The Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography exhibition will chart the evolution of royal family portraiture through the lens from the 1920s to today by displaying vintage prints as well as previously unseen correspondence between photographers and the royals.

Included in the display, being held in the King’s Gallery from May 17, is correspondence from Beaton saying how honoured he was to receive a request to photograph the Queen Mother in the robes of the Chancellor of the University of London in 1956.

In the letter, the society and royal photographer, who took the official pictures of the late Queen at her Coronation, discusses the logistics of when he will be able to return to England from New York for the sitting.

Some of Beaton’s most memorable photographs – taken over six decades – will be on display.

Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, photographed by Cecil Beaton in 1939. She became Queen in 1936 when her husband George VI took the throne – ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST/HIS MAJESTY KING CHARLES III 2024

The exhibition will also include examples of a letter from a member of the Royal family, and a comment made by them on a memo from their staff concerning the arrangement of a portrait sitting and approving the release of images that were taken of them.

The collected materials are understood to help reveal the stories behind some of the most famous photographs of members of the Royal family.

The exhibition will bring together more than 150 photographic prints, proofs and documents from the Royal Collection and the Royal Archives.

The future Queen Elizabeth II, wearing the uniform of the Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, was photographed by Cecil Beaton in 1942 – ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST/HIS MAJESTY KING CHARLES III 2024

All photographs presented will be the original portraits produced by the photographers, including Beaton, Dorothy Wilding, Annie Leibovitz and Rankin.

Most of the original prints have never been on public display, according to the Royal Collection Trust.

Meanwhile, the exhibition will also chart the close relationships that royal sitters and photographers experienced, something that is seen most clearly through the portraits taken by Antony Armstrong-Jones, the first Earl of Snowdon.

The British photographer was married to Princess Margaret from 1960 to 1978 and as part of the exhibition, intimate portraits of the late Queen’s sister taken both before and during their marriage will be shown.

Princess Margaret was photographed by Cecil Beaton in 1949 … – ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST/HIS MAJESTY KING CHARLES III 2024

… and by her then husband, Lord Snowdon, in 1967 – ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST/PHOTOGRAPH: SNOWDON

Alessandro Nasini, the curator of the exhibition, said: “This is the first exhibition from the Royal Collection entirely dedicated to modern portrait photography, an artistic medium that has helped to shape how the world views the British monarchy.

“We are excited for visitors to discover the beauty and materiality of these original prints, many on display for the first time, and we hope they will also enjoy a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the creative process behind some of these iconic royal images.”

The exhibition will run from May 17 to Oct 6 in the King’s Gallery and entry tickets will cost £19 for adults, £12 for a young person and £9.50 for a child or disabled person.

A new £1 ticket offer has also been launched by the RCT for those receiving Universal Credit and other named benefits, and is available for the portraits exhibition from May 17 to July 8.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.