Queen 'told off' celebrity photographer

The Queen, as the world’s most photographed woman, is not used to taking orders from photographers even if they have become almost as famous as the subjects they shoot.

So when Annie Leibovitz, who charges £50,000 a day and makes no secret of the fact she is too busy looking at her subjects to spend time charming them, had the temerity to suggest that the Queen should remove her crown she was put firmly in her place.

A behind the scenes BBC1 documentary on the workings of the Royal Family captured the moment when the Queen arrived in her Order of the Garter regalia in the White Drawing Room in Buckingham Palace.

Miss Leibovitz, who was commissioned for four portraits to mark the Queen’s state visit to the United States in May, said: "I think it will look better without the crown because the garter robe is so..."

Before she could finish the sentence the Queen shot an icy glance at the photographer and said: "Less dressy? What do you think this is?" referring to her robes which came complete with diamonds and ermine.

The Queen, who is rarely seen ruffled in public, then turned on her heel and strode out of the room with a courtier in hasty pursuit lifting the large train of her blue velvet cape off the floor.

The Queen was then heard pointedly telling a lady-in-waiting: "I’m not changing anything. I’ve had enough dressing like this thank you very much."

The Queen, who has been painted or photographed by every artiste of distinction of the last 50 years from Annigoni to Lucian Freud and Cecil Beaton, later returned and her view had clearly prevailed.

The portrait was released to mark her state visit to the United States with the crown very much in place.