Queen's Passport Photos: A Rare Glimpse

0:00On April 18th, Queen Elizabeth II had palaces, millions in wealth, and the world's largest private art collection, but one thing she never owned was a passport. As the sovereign, she didn't need one since British passports are issued in her name. Artist Chris Levine learned this firsthand during a sitting at Buckingham Palace back in 2004, when his assistant joked it felt like a passport photo, and the queen smiled, saying she didn't need such a picture. Levine captured that moment with a quick handheld shot, plus some passport-style images during the session for a three-dimensional laser scan. This was her second sitting with him after an initial one in 2003, where he created groundbreaking holographic portraits titled, Lightness of Being and Equanimity, one with eyes open, the other closed. Those works got major praise, with a national portrait gallery calling one the most evocative royal image by any artist, flipping traditional, portraiture on its head. Levine shared how the queen chatted about her gardening as meditation and nodded

1:04at equanimity, noting things aren't always what they seem, a line that still has him pondering. Now Levine's dropping these unseen passport photos exclusively, taken during that palaces session and tied to Jersey's 800th anniversary of, loyalty to the crown. He also recalled the fun scramble for her coronation diamond diadem, which she insisted he get. Stories like these remind us of the queen's wit and grace, even in quiet creative moments that live on through art.