Armstrong-Jones’ biggest break came in 1956, to the intense irritation of Cecil Beaton, the pre-eminent royal photographer at that time, when the Queen asked him to photograph herself, Prince Philip and their two children, Charles and Anne; to break with the traditional royal portraits of the time, he chose a bridge over a stream in the gardens of Buckingham Palace as the setting. The Queen was delighted with the results and other royal commissions followed.
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