Prince Charles unveils portrait of seven-year-old Queen Elizabeth II

On Monday, Prince Charles published an image of a magnificent portrait done of Queen Elizabeth when she was only seven years old. The oil painting is hanging in the Morning Room of the Prince’s official residence—Clarence House—and dates back to 1933.

The Prince of Wales announced on Twitter that he will be sharing more pieces like this throughout the month of August. He wrote:

We'll continue to share more from inside Clarence House throughout August.

Young Queen Elizabeth II

The little girl we see in the painting has no resemblance to the mighty Queen of today for back then she was only known as Lilibet to her family and friends. She sits in a wicker armchair, nonchalantly holding a basket of flowers. She may look unrecognizable, but the waves in her hair and the blue in her eyes give her away immediately.

The painting was done by Philip de Laszlo, an Anglo-Hungarian painter who is world famous for his portraits.

A responsible child

Ever since the Queen was young, stories describe her as a well-mannered and responsible girl. Even the man who was to become her Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, said she was ‘quite a character’, after he met her when she was the mere age of two. He said that she ‘has an air of authority and an amazing reflexivity for a child.’

It looks like she was meant to be the Queen of England all along.

Next year, she will celebrate her 70th year on the British throne as the longest living monarch in the world.