Queen Elizabeth celebrates 88th birthday, new portrait unveiled in UK

What else can be a perfect gift for the `Queen` than a a portrait of herself. Britain`s Queen Elizabeth on her 88th birthday on Monday was presented a new black and white portrait by the UK government.

Zee Media Bureau

London: What else can be a perfect gift for the `Queen` than her own portrait. Britain`s Queen Elizabeth on her 88th birthday on Monday was presented a new black and white portrait by the UK government. The portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with a "mischievous glint" in her eyes, taken by a renowned celebrity photographer David Bailey, was unveiled yesterday. The photograph of the monarch, smiling, was taken at Buckingham Palace in March and commissioned on behalf of the government`s Great Britain campaign. The image will be used to support the campaign, which aims to generate jobs and growth by highlighting Britain as a world-class destination for trade, tourism, investment and education. She is pictured wearing pearls, and a dress by Angela Kelly, who has served as personal assistant and senior dresser to her since 2002. The Queen celebrates her actual birthday on April 21, and her official birthday on a Saturday in June, which this year falls on June 14 in the UK. Over the course of his career, Bailey has snapped celebrities such as The Beatles, Diana, Princess of Wales and models Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss. The photographer made his name working for Vogue magazine in the 1960s and has also photographed actors Jack Nicholson, Sir Michael Caine and Johnny Depp, the BBC reported. The 76-year-old Bailey said: "I`ve always been a huge fan of the Queen. She has very kind eyes with a mischievous glint. I`ve always liked strong women, and she is a very strong woman." Recently-appointed culture secretary Sajid Javid said the portrait would help to support the aims of the campaign, which he said was to "showcase everything that is great about the UK to an international audience". The British monarchy is one of the biggest drivers of tourism in the UK, and brings in an estimated 500 million pounds a year from overseas tourism, according to Visit Britain. The Great campaign is said to have delivered economic returns worth more than 500 million pounds with a further 600- 800 million pounds expected in 2013-14. It was launched by the prime minister in September 2011 and is used by Britain`s diplomatic posts in 144 countries around the world, the Guardian reported. With agency inputs