The royal treatment

John Lennon appeared naked and Clint Eastwood was bound with ropes, but Leibovitz opted to have her subject in full evening dress for this official portrait (unveiled today) marking the Queen's upcoming six-day visit to the U.S. And whilst the critics seem largely impressed, I think the photograph has all the personality of a marble bust. There must be a line of people having to wait to have their picture taken in the same chair, the same costume, perhaps one of those little cut-outs you stick your head through.

But my main gripe is that there is tradition and there is transition and the two don't have to be seen as adversarial. Just look at this picture of Queen Charlotte that hangs in the National Gallery and also portrays an elderly Queen seated at a window looking out on a chilly English landscape. Has so little changed within the monarchy that Queens are indistinguishable? Does the monarchy have to equate with melancholy?

Remember Queen Charlotte had reasons to be down. She had seen her husband, George III, lose his reason, their son seemed to offer the monarchy a poor future, and she was worried the revolution in France might spread. But why does modern Queenie have a face on?