The BBC has apologized to the Queen for suggesting in a trailer that she stormed out of a photo shoot with star American photographer Annie Liebovitz. (See previous post for full story).

The BBC now says that the sequence in the trailer was in the wrong order. What purported to be the Queen “storming out” of the session was, in fact, the Queen coming in.

While the Queen did object to being uncrowned by the photographer, it was not contentious, as the film sequence seemed to imply.

This story has gone large across the tabloid press this morning. The BBC should be ashamed of its unprofessional conduct and receives an unceremonious Royal Anecdotes slap across the wrist.

ITN is reporting that the Queen abruptly left a photoshoot at Buckingham Palace when commissioned American photographer Annie Leibovitz asked her to remove her “crown”.

This minor moment of exasperation is now a big story across the media after the BBC inexplicably released the footage to advertise its autumn schedules. How far the once trusted Beeb has fallen.

In the footage, the Queen walks into a room wearing a tiara — not a crown — and the very heavy Order of the Garter robes.

Leibovitz then demands, “I think it will look better without the crown because the garter robe is so…” Apparently, she intended to say “extraordinary”, but the astonished Queen icily replies, “Less dressy, what do you think this is?”.

TV cameras follow the Queen leaving the room with an official lifting the enormous train of her blue velvet cape off the floor. The Queen then tells her lady-in-waiting, “I’m not changing anything. I’ve had enough dressing like this thank you very much.”

Leibovitz is famous for taking bizarre pictures of her subjects. She once had Kate Winslet repeatedly dunked in a tank of water, and photographed Clint Eastwood after he had been tied up with ropes.

One hardly dares imagine what Her Majesty would have replied to either of those requests.

One of the four Liebovitz pictures to be released

A former press secretary to the Queen, Dickie Arbiter, claimed she was justified in her actions and said Liebovitz had “got it wrong”. He said, “It is stupid of her to say take the tiara off, it’s too dressy. If the Queen’s already got the garter robes on. It is dressy.”

Annie Liebovitz said “She entered the room at a surprisingly fast pace, as fast as the regalia would allow her. She muttered, ‘Why am I wearing these heavy robes in the middle of the day?’

“She doesn’t really want to get dressed up any more. She just couldn’t be bothered and I admire her for that. When you get to that age you have a right to have those kinds of feelings.”

Many elderly people claim they are no longer taken seriously, and get the impression they are being treated like children. When that person is the 81 year-old Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, it’s not so easy to patronise her.

Congratulation to Her Majesty for standing up for elderly rights.

Using digital technology to place the Queen against a moody backdrop of Buckingham Palace lake, Anne Leibovitz has produced another atmospheric photograph of the Monarch to celebrate her 81st birthday.

The picture has elicited a lot of unfavourable comments, including that it’s too contrived and theatrical for a lady not known for her thespian ways — not in public anyway.

It could be seen as HM’s Wuthering Heights moment, or even her appearance as the French Lieutenant’s Woman.

I suppose since the world’s rediscovery of Her Majesty following Helen Mirren’s striking portrayal of her in The Queen, for which she won an Oscar as best actress, something of this nature might be thought appropriate.

For myself, although I liked the first portrait, also published on Royal Anecdotes, I think this one may be just a little over the top.

Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren is reported to have turned down a personal invitation to dine with the Queen on May 1st because she is currently filming in America. It may have been wiser of the Palace to check on her availability first, rather than forcing her to cancel such an important engagement.

A new photograph of the Queen has been released prior to her forthcoming visit to the USA.

The picture, to mark her 81st birthday, was taken by Anne Leibovitz in the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace.

Observers are likening the style to that of Cecil Beaton, a famous society and Royal photographer, who was a favourite of the Queen Mother. In fact, a number of commentators have remarked on how like the Queen Mother she now looks.

I expect that will tell the canny Monarch that she’s put on a little weight.