How artist Chris Levine saw Queen Elizabeth in a new light

Royal artist Chris Levine reveals how he brought out Queen Elizabeth’s inner light with rare portraits, as he unveils new work to highlight the health of the world’s oceans.

Exclusive: The Queen sauntered into the Yellow Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace, wearing a crown, an ermine stole and a single string of pearls artist Chris Levine had personally selected from her wardrobe.

As she sat for him for an hour and half in her preferred room for sittings – he had drawn the heavy curtains to create his own light projection for the 3D portrait – the late monarch’s tired eyes began to close.

“Would you like to rest between the shots, ma’am,” the British light artist asked, himself well rested and at peace having just returned from a 10-day meditative silence retreat.

His question came too late.

As his camera fired off 200 frames in eight seconds, the Queen’s eyes, trained on an ultra violet cross he had erected in the distance to steady her gaze, shut tight.

Chris Levine with his work, Lightness of Being, the first holographic portrait of Queen Elizabeth, in 2004. Picture: AP Photo/Fiona Hanson/PA

Equanimity by Chris Levine.

When the workaholic Queen finally woke, she opened up on her personal form of meditation.

“My meditation is my gardening at Balmoral,” she told him wearily during that 3pm sitting on November 14, 2003.

On the second sitting, they discussed the possible titles Lightness of Being (eyes open) and Equanimity (eyes shut) for the first ever holographic portraits of Queen Elizabeth II and, nodding enthusiastically at the suggestion of the latter, she chimed, “it’s appropriate, things aren’t always how they seem. I often still wonder what she meant by that?”

Artist Chris Levine setting the lights for the Queen’s the first 3D photographs Picture: Supplied

Chris Levine who has now been commissioned to photograph the King and what will be the first portrait since his cancer diagnosis. Picture: Supplied

The Queen’s right hand woman and dresser Angela Kelly had allowed the light artist into the Queen’s wardrobe to choose a simple dress, one line of pearls and a selection of capes. She arranged for him to visit the Royal Collection to select a diadem, worn by the monarch on the way to her coronation.

On the morning of the shoot the palace called to ask if the crown was necessary because there was a security problem and security staff were tied up with President Bush’s visit.

He insisted on the crown.

“We pulled out a military cape. The Queen was trying on different outfits, taking part in this sort of fashion show. She was game, but as soon as she put on the ermine, that was it,” he said.

King Charles III. Picture: Hugo Burnand/Buckingham Palace via Getty Images

The King’s recent portrait by Jonathan Yeo. Picture: Getty Images

“We got on really well, she gave me the second sitting and two private audiences.

“She trusted me enough to close her eyes, she was tired. She felt relaxed, we bonded over our shared love of nature.”

More than a decade later, the artist from Hampshire, in south east England, whose portrait was commissioned by the Jersey Heritage Trust to mark 800 years of the island’s allegiance to the Crown, has been asked to do the same again for the trust, with the new King.

“The Queen had an inner light, I could see it. I used a 3D camera setup to get it. (Albert) Einstein said we are all compressed light, everything is a phenomena of light. What we think of this physical realm is all illusion,” he said.

Mr Levine - who is currently hosting a London art installation with environmental project the Convex Seascape Survey to highlight the health of the world’s oceans, entitled 7.83 Hertz - is said to be a favourite of King Charles who is recovering from cancer.

Charles, 75, is understood to have agreed to pose this year.

At the unveiling of Equanimity, which has taken pride of place at the London National Portrait Gallery since 2011, Mr Levine said the then Prince of Wales nudged him and declared, “Oh wow.”

“He really liked it, he was positive. A lot of my work is borne out of meditation,” Mr Levine said.

Chris Levine’s 2016 portrait of The Dalai Lama.

His famous photographic subjects include model Kate Moss, Elton John and the Dalai Lama.

What does he think of the flaming first portrait of the King since the coronation by artist Jonathan Yeo (prior to it being vandalised, of course)?

“It’s a good piece of art” and “not at all satanic,” he said.

“Would I have done something different about the colour? It could have done with a bit more pink perhaps,” he laughed.

Catherine, Princess of Wales. Picture: Yui Mok-WPA Pool/Getty Images

The portrait gracing the Tatler Magazine cover.

And his view of Kate Middleton’s portrait in a white gown inspired by her appearance at King Charles’s first state banquet in November by the British-Zambian artist Hannah Uzor?

“Nice colours but it could have looked a bit more like her,” he said.

“With portraits, for me, it’s all about showing the person’s inner light.”

Mr Levine’s light artwork installation on the benthic zone (bottom of the ocean), entitled ‘7.83 Hertz’, is showing at his London Mayfair studio by appointment at 5A Shepherd St, London W1J 7HW, until July 4.

Originally published as How artist Chris Levine saw Queen Elizabeth in a new light