Queen Elizabeth II; Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother; Princess Margaret
1 portrait of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother
Queen Elizabeth II; Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother; Princess Margaret
by Norman Parkinson
colour print, 1980
15 1/2 in. x 19 1/2 in.
Given by the photographer, Norman Parkinson, 1980
Primary Collection
NPG P200
Sittersback to top
- Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022), Reigned 1952-2022. Sitter associated with 972 portraits. Identify
- Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother (1900-2002), Queen of George VI. Sitter associated with 580 portraits, Artist or producer of 1 portrait. Identify
- Princess Margaret (1930-2002), Daughter of George VI; Countess of Snowdon. Sitter associated with 293 portraits. Identify
Artistback to top
- Norman Parkinson (1913-1990), Photographer. Artist or producer of 244 portraits, Sitter in 14 portraits.
Linked publicationsback to top
- Moorhouse, Paul and Cannadine, David (appreciation), The Queen: Art and Image, 2011 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 17 May to 21 October 2012), p. 109 Read entry
Taken to mark Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother's eightieth birthday in August 1980, this photograph by Norman Parkinson emphasises stability and the close bonds of family. Within a short period of time the royal family would experience enormous internal and external pressures, and its members would be both celebrated and vilified in the press.
- Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 736
Events of 1980back to top
Current affairs
Margaret Thatcher makes one of her most famous speeches, living up to her nickname of 'the Iron Lady'. The speech was given to the Conservative Party conference in Brighton in response to the media speculation that the party would go back on its counter-inflationary policies: 'The lady's not for turning!'Art and science
John Lennon is murdered on the steps of his house. After fatally shooting him, Mark David Chapman calmly sat down on the pavement and waited to be arrested by police. Chapman had a history of mental illness and claimed that he had committed the murder as a way of getting attention.International
Iraq invades Iran, beginning eight years of conflict. The invasion followed years of border disputes, but was precipitated by the 1979 revolution in Iran and the resulting instability which Saddam Hussein saw as an opportunity to expand Iraqi influence in the region. Despite early gains for Iraq, the conflict soon descended into a war of attrition with huge causalities caused by Iraq's use of chemical weapons.Comments back to top
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