Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born on April 21, 1926, the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth).
She acceded to the throne on February 6, 1952 upon the death of her father, King George VI, becoming Queen Elizabeth II. She died on September 8, 2022 at her residence in Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Her reign of 70 years and 214 days is the longest of any British monarch and the longest recorded of any female head of state in history.
Queen Elizabeth II, as the head of the Commonwealth of Nations, was also Head of State to many countries in the Commonwealth, a political association of (now) 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire.
Her Majesty has been depicted on the banknotes (various substrates) of thirty-three issuing authorities, as well as on an essay prepared for Zambia.
Her portraits have adorned just eighteen polymer banknotes (excluding date and signature varieties) from just seven countries:
1. Australia
2. Canada
3. East Caribbean States
4. Gibraltar
5. Great Britain (Bank of England)
6. Isle of Man
7. New Zealand
A total of eight different portraits were used on the polymer banknotes bearing her likeness. On some of the portraits, there are subtle varieties in the engravings. The first polymer banknote depicting Queen Elizabeth II was the £1 Tyvek note issued by the Isle of Man in 1983. The oldest (last) portrait of the aging Queen was featured on New Zealand's 20-dollar banknote of 2016.
The eight different portraits are (engravings) based on the following photographs:
1. A 1951 photograph by Yousuf Karsh. This photograph was one of many taken during a photographic session in 1951, a year before Elizabeth's accession to the throne. Many of the portraits from the photographic session show Elizabeth wearing a tiara. Interestingly, the same portrait chosen for the Canadian 1954 banknote series originally had the tiara, but it was removed and the Queen's hair was redrawn. The necklace worn in this portrait is made of diamond flowers and leaves and was a wedding present from Nizam of Hyderabad and Berar.
This portrait appears only in the holographic strip on Canada $20 (S6 / Pick 111). This became the only Canadian banknote on which a portrait of Her Majesty is depicted with a tiara.
2. A ca. 1966 photograph by Anthony Buckley. In this portrait, Queen Elizabeth II is wearing Queen Victoria's Collet Necklace and Earrings. Also visible in the portrait is a blue sash on which the two Royal Family Orders given to Her Majesty are attached. The first Royal Family Order was introduced by King George IV. Family Orders have been issued by each of his successors. The Orders are worn by female members of the Royal Family. Queen Elizabeth II is wearing the Royal Family Order of her father, King George VI, above the Order of her grandfather, George V. In this portrait, the Royal Family Order of King George V has been truncated.
This portrait appears on Isle of Man £1 (S1 / Pick 38).
3. A 1977 photograph by Peter Grugeon, taken at the time of Her Majesty's Silver Jubilee. The Queen is depicted wearing Grand Duchess Vladimir's tiara and Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee necklace. The tiara had been smuggled out of Russia during the Russian Revolution and belonged to the Queen.
This portrait appears on East Caribbean States $5 (S1 / Pick 55A), $10 (S2 / Pick 56), $20 (S3 / Pick 57), $50 (S4 / Pick 58) and $100 (S5 / Pick 59), and on a modified version of Gibraltar £100 (S1 / Pick 40).
4. A 1985-86 photograph by Don Ford. The portrait shows Queen Elizabeth wearing Queen Mary's "Girls of Great Britain and Ireland" tiara, Queen Alexandra's cluster earrings and, although difficult to identify, Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee necklace. The "Girls of Great Britain and Ireland" tiara can be worn with or without a bandeau base and in this portrait the tiara is set into its base.
This portrait appears on Great Britain (UK) £5 (S1 / Pick 394), £10 (S2 / Pick 395), £20 (S3 / Pick 396) and £50 (S4 / Pick 397).
5. A 1984 photograph by John Lawrence. This informal portrait of Her Majesty shows her wearing a simple dress, a string of pearls (that had come to Queen Victoria from her Hanoverian inheritance) and Queen Alexandra's Cluster Earrings.
This portrait appears on Australia $5 (S2 / Pick 50), $5 (S3 / Pick 51) and on a slightly modified version of $5 (S9 / Pick 62).
6. A 1986 photograph by Ronald Woolf. This official portrait of Her Majesty was taken at Government House, Wellington, New Zealand on February 26, 1986. In this portrait, Her Majesty is wearing Grand Duchess Vladimir's tiara, Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee necklace, Queen Mary's drop earrings, and the Sovereign's Badge of the Queen's Service Order, an order unique to New Zealand.
This portrait appears on New Zealand $20 (S4 / Pick 187).
7. A ca. 2010-2011 photograph by Ian Jones. Wearing her traditional pearls (usually worn in informal images) and a plain dress, this is a refined, yet matronly, image of the Queen. Her Majesty is also depicted as an image in the holographic strip on the banknote.
This portrait appears on Canada $20 (S3 / Pick 108) and the commemorative $20 (S6 / Pick 111). On the former, the image in holographic strip is the same as the portrait on the note. On the latter, the image is based on a 1951 photograph by Yousuf Karsh (see #1).
8. A 2011 photograph by Julian Calder, commissioned to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The Queen is wearing the Sovereign's insignia of the Order of New Zealand, the New Zealand Order of Merit, Star, Sash and Badge and The Queen's Service Order. The Queen is wearing the Diamond Fern brooch presented by the women of Auckland in 1953 on her right shoulder. She is also wearing the historic Hanoverian Fringe tiara and matching necklace. The tiara was made in 1830 from diamonds in the possession of King George III and inherited by Queen Victoria. The tiara was worn by the Queen on her wedding day on November 20, 1947. It previously had been worn by her grandmother, Queen Mary, and her mother, Queen Elizabeth. The necklace was made for Queen Victoria from gemstones from other items.
This portrait appears on New Zealand $20 (S9 / Pick 193).
Watch the attached video to view all eighteen banknotes.
Note: The catalog numbers listed are from:
"S" numbers from "POLYMER 2021" (by Stane Straus, Donald Ludwig and Tigerson Kee H. B.).
"Pick" numbers gleaned from PMG's population reports.
Sources:
1. "POLYMER 2021" (by Stane Straus, Donald Ludwig and Tigerson Kee H. B.).
2. "The Portraits of Queen Elizabeth II" by Peter Symes ( http://www.pjsymes.com.au/qe2/default.htm )
and other sources.
