The Queen on Horseback at Windsor, drawing by Comte Xavier de Poret. After seeing some of the Comte de Poret's work, the Queen commissioned him to portray herself and the Royal children on horseback. Her Majesty posed in Windsor Great Park on her mare, Betsy, Prince Charles on his pony Greensleeves and Princess Anne on her pony William. To complete this work the artist stayed at Windsor for two weeks. The Comte de Poret, who was born in 1894, began drawing as a child. He came to specialise in pictures of birds and animals and continued to draw in spare moments, even during the 1914 - 1918 war in which he served in the French Dragoons and in the Cuirassiers a Pied. He is particularly fond of horses and is himself a keen huntsman. The Queen is seen bare headed, in riding habit and boots, on her horse Betsy which was a present from the Portuguese people to commemorate her visit to their country in 1957. Whilst the Queen herself gave the artist several sittings, a girl groom from the royal mews stood in for her to enable the Comte de Poret to complete the details
ITN Reference: 16/ELI/12
Agency: Camera Press London