Wattle Queen Postcard

Postcard featuring a portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was the longest-reigning British monarch, a period that spanned the term of 16 Australian Prime Ministers. After the Queen’s visit to Australia in 1954, Sir William Dargie was commissioned by industrialist James P Beveridge to paint a portrait for the Historical Memorials Collection. Dargie was a renowned Australian artist, having won the Archibald Prize eight times between 1941 and 1956.

This portrait was painted ‘from life’ over the course of five sittings at Buckingham Palace during November 1954. Considered a national icon the painting is also known as the ‘Wattle Queen’ or the ‘Wattle painting’. These titles refer to Australia‘s national floral emblem the golden wattle (Acacia pycnantha Benth.), which Norman Hartnell incorporated into the design of the ball gown.

Artwork:

William Alexander Dargie (1923–2003), Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, 1954, Historic Memorials Collection, Parliament House Art Collection, Department of Parliamentary Services, Canberra, ACT

Product details:

Dimensions: 105 x 147 mm

Designed and printed in Canberra (ACT)