Eyes tightly closed and radiating calm and tranquillity, Queen Elizabeth II takes a rare moment to switch off and be alone with her thoughts. This groundbreaking image, captured at Buckingham Palace more than 20 years ago, has become one of the most compelling ever taken of the late monarch, who agreed to be scanned by lasers to achieve the striking effect. Now, t hree years after her death , the artist who created the photo – Lightness of Being – tells HELLO! how it came about almost by accident, and shares behind-the-scenes details of his sittings with her.

"This shot was actually an out-take," says Chris Levine, who was commissioned by Jersey Heritage to take a portrait of the monarch to commemorate the 800th anniversary, in 2004, of the island’s breaking away from France and pl

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