At this festive time of year, it’s serendipitous that the next film is this blog series is The Queen. I wouldn’t consider myself a royalist, but have a lot of respect for Her Majesty. I think many could say likewise after this staunch but sympathetic portrayal by national treasure Helen Mirren.
I had assorted ideas for this drawing, including the illuminated letters “ER” (Elizabeth Regina) and a special Brownie badge with a crown on it – I still remember the old Brownie promise from my youth, even if their colour scheme was more brown than pink in those days! I wondered if anyone had done a portrait of the Queen in the style of Roy Lichenstein, but decided I didn’t have the materials to attempt it myself. Instead, I doodled this pop art-ish alternative and based it on a bank note (sadly not a £50). I hope you can see the resemblance. It reminds me of the Queen character in 1989 animation of Roald Dahl’s book The BFG, which I’m giving my niece for Christmas (shhh!).
On that note, I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Honourable mentions for 2006: Streep, Hathaway and Blunt in The Devil Wears Prada. Also a charmingly juvenile Abigail Breslin in Little Miss Sunshine.