7: Queen Elizabeth II's Wedding Portrait by Baron Studios

Conclusions

Queen Elizabeth II’s royal wedding to Prince Philip took place at a time in which England was attempting to recover from the horrors of WWII and the destruction that struck across all of Europe. The symbols of the weddings in itself sends a powerful message of recovery and hope. If the Royal Family could focus on something as frivolous as a wedding, then certainly the entire country could move past the devastation of the war and begin to rebuild their individual lives. More specific to this portrait, Elizabeth stands as a beacon of hope as she wears emblems of the nation and the Commonwealth on her dress, while flaunting a tiara that was previously owned by her grandmother, Queen Mary and was constructed using jewels gifted by Queen Victoria. At the time of this image, Queen Victoria was the longest reigning Queen in British history, thus instilling a sense of long-term stability in a population that had been constantly adapting to war efforts. The gown was designed to symbolize rebirth and regrowth as a country and a church. Queen Elizabeth II channels the power of the church in her chapel/cathedral that is fifteen feet long. This fifteen foot-long veil relates to the temple veil that was torn when Christ died on the cross and is used as a symbol of modesty and obedience. During the time of WWII, there was a notion that the current state of world affairs were a result of straying from God. A bride on her wedding day is the pinnacle of Godly symbols, as she wears white linen just as the bible annotates. Moreover, Elizabeth utilizes the power of the church to instill a sense of nationalism in this portrait, as her dress is designed to combine tradition and hope.