From the Sex Pistols to The Simpsons, from The Crown to the James Bond films, the instantly recognizable image of Queen Elizabeth II has been used in popular culture throughout her reign.

Some cherished it, others despised it, but Her Majesty’s omnipresence in art, music and film underscored her place in the popular imagination.

“God save the queen”

The cover of the Sex Pistols’ 1977 single ‘God Save The Queen’, with the Queen’s face, eyes and mouth hidden beneath the title and band name, is one of the most iconic images of the punk movement… but so is Elizabeth. II -a.

Artist Jamie Reid also created a version of the monarch with a pin in his lip and swastikas instead of pupils.

Many other songs have been written about the Queen, including “Elizabeth My Dear” (1989) by the alternative rock band The Stone Roses, in which they declared that they “won’t rest until she loses her throne”.

In 2005, the British electronic music group Basement Jaxx filmed a wild monarch in the video for “You Do Not Know Me”, who walks at night in London, visits a strip club and even arranges a fight.

PORTRAITS

During her reign, the Queen posed for more than 175 portraits. Artists such as Cecil Beaton, Lucien Freud and Annie Leibovitz depicted her at her best, at work or with her family.

But the most famous are those made by pop art legend Andy Warhol in 1985 as part of a series about the reigning queens of that time.

The American artist used an official photo that he personalized, as he did for Marilyn Monroe.

Availability on the bottle

Regina, who is instantly recognizable thanks to her bright outfits, was a cartoon character and also appeared in television programs and films.

Her Majesty appeared several times in the American series “The Simpsons”, in particular in the episode where the main character Homer crashes his carriage into Buckingham Palace.

In the children’s cartoon “Peppa Pig”, the monarch jumps through mud puddles. Her character also appears in Minions (2015), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) and Got a Cop to Save the Queen? (1988), where she is played by Jeanette Charles, her most famous British double.

Alone at home

Although the Queen rarely gave interviews, her life was featured in films, plays and television programs.

In the Oscar-winning film The King’s Speech (2010), about how her father, King George VI, struggles to overcome a stutter, she is portrayed as a child, while in The Queen (2006), Elizabeth II, who played by Helen Mirren, faces the wrath of her subjects after the death in 1997 of her sister-in-law, Princess Diana.

But it was the hit Netflix series “The Crown” that provided the most detailed account of the Queen’s life and her relationship with her husband Philip, marital strife, scandals and political crises.

the main role

After years of having her image hijacked, the Queen took the initiative herself in 2012, participating in a skit at the opening ceremony of the London Olympics.

She is seen surrounded by her beloved corgi at Buckingham Palace, where she meets James Bond, played by Daniel Craig. “Good evening Mr. Bond,” she tells him, before they pretend to board a helicopter, fly over London and eventually parachute into the Olympic Stadium.

In 2016, Elizabeth II also reprized her grandson, Prince Harry, in a video with former US President Barack Obama to promote the Invictus Games, an international Olympic-style event created by Harry for wounded soldiers.

With Paddington

In June, the Queen sprung a surprise for her subjects to mark the 70th anniversary of her reign during the Platinum Jubilee: she filmed a short video of herself drinking tea with left-handed Paddington Bears in British children’s literature.

Then she tapped her china cup with a silver spoon while opening a big concert outside Buckingham Palace.