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| Dan Llywelyn Hall becomes 133rd artist to paint the Queen | Dan Llywelyn Hall becomes 133rd artist to paint the Queen |
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| Dan Llywelyn Hall said he was attempting to get behind the trappings of royalty – to get closer to the real Queen – when he became the 133rd artist to formally paint her: "I didn't want to add to the pile of stately images." | Dan Llywelyn Hall said he was attempting to get behind the trappings of royalty – to get closer to the real Queen – when he became the 133rd artist to formally paint her: "I didn't want to add to the pile of stately images." |
| The 32-year-old was speaking as his portrait was unveiled for the first time on Wednesday at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Intended to mark the 60th anniversary of the Queen's coronation, it was commissioned by the Welsh Rugby Union, of which she is patron. | The 32-year-old was speaking as his portrait was unveiled for the first time on Wednesday at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Intended to mark the 60th anniversary of the Queen's coronation, it was commissioned by the Welsh Rugby Union, of which she is patron. |
| "I was desperately trying to infiltrate this very public image of her, to get beneath the psyche of what she is," said Hall. "I'm conscious of being the 133rd artist to sit with her and I wanted to do something different." | "I was desperately trying to infiltrate this very public image of her, to get beneath the psyche of what she is," said Hall. "I'm conscious of being the 133rd artist to sit with her and I wanted to do something different." |
| At 5ft by 4ft, the resulting portrait is obviously striking because of its sheer size. Wearing a cherry red dress and pearls, the Queen is staring ahead, unconsciously rubbing her wedding ring, and appears to have lots on her mind. | At 5ft by 4ft, the resulting portrait is obviously striking because of its sheer size. Wearing a cherry red dress and pearls, the Queen is staring ahead, unconsciously rubbing her wedding ring, and appears to have lots on her mind. |
| "She is a complex person and when you meet her you can see she is a real thinker," said Hall. "She is constantly on the ball with things." | "She is a complex person and when you meet her you can see she is a real thinker," said Hall. "She is constantly on the ball with things." |
| The Queen sat for an hour in the stupendous White Drawing Room of Windsor Castle last November; quite enough for Hall's purposes. "I've never had any more than that for any portrait I've done," said the artist, whose previous works include portraits of first world war veterans Henry Allingham and Harry Patch. | The Queen sat for an hour in the stupendous White Drawing Room of Windsor Castle last November; quite enough for Hall's purposes. "I've never had any more than that for any portrait I've done," said the artist, whose previous works include portraits of first world war veterans Henry Allingham and Harry Patch. |
| She was in a good and relaxed mood, the artist said. "When I first met her she was incredibly disarming; very, very natural. There was no element of her where you felt at any point was being forced or staged. She was candid and very trusting and all that helped me get beyond the public image. That was the only thing I thought I had to do – get the essence of her as a person." | She was in a good and relaxed mood, the artist said. "When I first met her she was incredibly disarming; very, very natural. There was no element of her where you felt at any point was being forced or staged. She was candid and very trusting and all that helped me get beyond the public image. That was the only thing I thought I had to do – get the essence of her as a person." |
| Hall lives and works in Harrow but was born in Cardiff and brought up in Barry. He said he was a "proud Welshman" so it was a huge honour for it to hang at the Millennium Stadium. It will be in one of the ground's main receptions, one of the first things to greet rubgy players as they enter the stadium. | Hall lives and works in Harrow but was born in Cardiff and brought up in Barry. He said he was a "proud Welshman" so it was a huge honour for it to hang at the Millennium Stadium. It will be in one of the ground's main receptions, one of the first things to greet rubgy players as they enter the stadium. |
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