It was one of those "We are not amused" moments when Queen Elizabeth II let fly with her disgust at the ideas of world famous photog Annie Leibovitz during a photo shoot. When the snapper suggested the monarch remove her crown to appear less dressy, the queen snapped back with "Less dressy? What do think this is? I'm not changing anything. I've had enough dressing like this, thank you very much."
The story caused a mild furor in the UK with tabloid headlines such as "Throne a Wobbler" (The Sun) and "One is Not Amused" (The Daily Mail). During filming for the documentary "A Year with the Queen" last spring, her majesty is shown entering a room in Buckingham Palace wearing her crown and regal purple Order of the Garter robes.
In setting up the shot, the celebrity photographer told the queen, "I think it will look better without the crown because the Garter robe is so ...," but the monarch cut her off with an icy stare.
"Less dressy! What do you think this is?" the monarch said, gesturing to her attire. The BBC had implied that the queen stormed out of the shoot - which she did not - and has since apologized for it.
Leibovitz is well known for her photographs of rock stars, screen legends and politicians, and on March 28 the queen sat for four demure official portraits just before a six-day visit to the United States.
"A Year With the Queen", set to air this fall, offers exclusive access to the monarch's life. A camera crew followed her across the world, shedding light on the 80-year-old queen's daily routine and her ceremonial obligations.
