Queen Elizabeth II
10 of 156 portraits by Yousuf Karsh
© Karsh / Camera Press
Queen Elizabeth II
by Yousuf Karsh
cibachrome print, 1943
13 1/4 in. x 10 3/8 in. (336 mm x 263 mm)
Given by the photographer, Yousuf Karsh, 1987
Primary Collection
NPG P335
Sitterback to top
- Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022), Reigned 1952-2022. Sitter associated with 972 portraits.
Artistback to top
- Yousuf Karsh (1908-2002), Photographer. Artist or producer associated with 159 portraits, Sitter in 2 portraits.
This portraitback to top
Karsh photographed the Queen on four occasions over a period of more than forty years, often in connection with official visits to Canada. These pictures have been used by press all over the world, and by the Royal Family as official and personal gifts.
Linked publicationsback to top
- Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 201
Events of 1943back to top
Current affairs
The War effort continues with women recruited to the Home Guard and Ernie Bevin introducing conscription of miners as coal output continues to flag.There is panic when a new anti aircraft weapon is heard for the first time in London and 173 people die in the crush to enter an air-raid shelter at Bethnal Green tube station.
Art and science
Barnes Wallis's bouncing bomb is used during Operation Chastise - the Dam busters Raid - to destroy three dams in the Ruhr area of Germany. The raid was considered a success, knocking out hydroelectric power, cutting off the water supply to industry and causing devastation through flooding. The operation also, however, cost the allies many lives, and the bouncing bomb was not used again.International
The invasion of Sicily is successful thanks to Operation Mincemeat, in which false documents were planted on the body of a dead airman to mislead Germany into thinking that the Allied target was Sardinia. The invasion led to the fall of Mussolini and Italy joining the Allies.42,000 German civilians are killed in a firestorm in Hamburg caused by the Allied bombing in Operation Gomorrah.
Comments back to top
We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.
If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.
Related pages
- Yousuf Karsh
- The Face of Monarchy
- Britain 1960-1990
- Artists and sitters
- 150 Years: The National Portrait Gallery
- The Queen's Golden Jubilee
- Anthony Buckley
- Chronology
- Marilyn Monroe: a British love affair
- Curators' Choice: Photographs from the Terence Pepper Gift
- Kings and Queens: A Family tree
- Commonwealth Trail
- Everyday icons: collecting popular portraits
- NPG D48090 in 360°
- Tudors to Windsors
- Britain and the formation of the UAE
- Adopt-a-Portrait
- Love Stories
- Icons and Identities: Shakespeare to Winehouse
- Spotlight: Queen Elizabeth II
- Love stories: art, passion and tragedy
- W.H. Auden
- The Royal Ballet at 75
- Writers of influence: Shakespeare to J.K. Rowling
- Writers of influence: Shakespeare to J.K. Rowling
- Herbert Morrison: The Cockney Socialist
- In Close Up: Laurence Olivier