Previously unseen photo of smiling Queen revealed ahead of state funeral

By Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN

Beaming at the camera, a joyous Queen Elizabeth II smiles in a photograph newly released by Buckingham Palace on the eve of her state funeral.

The photograph was taken back in May at Windsor Castle ahead of Platinum Jubilee celebrations marking the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.

Ahead of the funeral service on Monday, King Charles III thanked members of the public for their support and messages of condolence since the death of his mother.

The new monarch said he and wife Camilla, the Queen Consort had been “moved beyond measure” by the public outpouring of love and affection seen during the couple’s tour of the nations that make up the United Kingdom over the last week.

Meanwhile, the Queen Consort paid tribute to the late monarch in a televised message on Sunday, saying she will always remember the Queen’s “unforgettable” smile.

In a three-minute video, interlaced with archive footage of the Elizabeth II, Camilla praised the Queen for “carving her own role” as a “solitary woman” in a male-dominated world of international politics.

“She’s been part of our lives forever. I’m 75 now and I can’t remember anyone except the Queen being there,” the Queen Consort said.

She recalled the Queen’s “wonderful blue eyes” and said: “I will always remember her smile.”

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