Portrait of Queen to be auctioned for charity

Dreweatts has announced a charity auction this November to raise funds for the Queen’s Mother’s Clothing Guild, a royal charity.

One of the most anticipated lots is Pearly Queen of St. James’s Palace, a large-scale portrait of Queen Elizabeth II as she appeared on the first-class postage stamp.

The work, by contemporary artist Ann Carrington, features thousands of pearl buttons hand-sewn onto a black canvas and is expected to sell for between £10,000 and £25,000.

Princess Alexandra, the Honourable Lady Ogilvy, the guild’s patron since 2003, said the proceeds of the auction “will contribute significantly to the vital work of the charity to provide more new clothing and bedding to those in need across the UK”.

Carrington created the work for the 140th anniversary of the guild. “Each button represents the volunteer sewers and knitters whose hand-made contributions since 1882 have enabled the charity to grow and flourish,” she said.

The work is part of a series of 23 portraits of the Queen created by Carrington, the only fine artist who holds a license from Royal Mail to produce artworks in postage-stamp form.

One of the 23 works was commissioned by the Queen herself, who requested that it be executed in red and gold.