Bronze bust of Her Majesty The Queen sculpted by Angela Conner

The Trustees of the 11th Duke of Devonshire's Will Trust have just acquired a bronze bust of Her Majesty The Queen sculpted by Angela Conner. The portrait bust was commissioned by the 11th Duke of Devonshire to mark The Queen's 80th birthday and was produced in an edition of ten. One of these busts, sponsored by the 11th Duke, will take its place in St. George's Chapel, Windsor, where it will be shown to visitors after Garter day on 19 June 2006.

The Queen gave Angela Conner six sittings for the bust between October 2004 and April 2005

The Queen gave Angela Conner six sittings for the bust between October 2004 and April 2005. She found in her sitter "a sense of tranquility and balance" and described The Queen as "a perceptive woman with a very strong centre". The mould of the bust was made by Angela Conner's assistant, Simon Stringer, and the bust was cast by the Bronze Age Foundry in London. The sittings were photographed by Bill Burlington, and the casting process by Bill Burlington and John Bulmer.

The sittings were photographed by Bill Burlington, and the casting process by Bill Burlington and John Bulmer

The bust of The Queen joins other bronze busts by Angela Conner in the Sculpture Gallery at Chatsworth, the most recent of which are portraits of Lord Rothschild and Sir Tom Stoppard. Visitors can see an album of the photographs of the sittings and casting alongside the bust.

Bronze bust of Her Majesty The Queen sculpted by Angela Conner