Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II Is All Smiles in New Portrait Released Before Her Funeral

On day before Queen Elizabeth II's funeral is scheduled to take place in London, Buckingham Palace released a never-before-seen photo of Her Majesty that was taken earlier this year

Queen Elizabeth II
UK Press via Getty Images

A royal smile.

On Sept. 18, the eve of Queen Elizabeth II's funeral, an unseen portrait of the late monarch was released by Buckingham Palace.

In the photo, the queen is dressed in a light blue dress, with her hair perfectly curled, as she smiles brightly for the camera. She is pictured wearing her favorite three-strand pearl necklace, pearl earrings and her aquamarine and diamond clip brooches which were an 18th birthday present from her father King George VI in 1944.

According to the palace, the portrait was taken earlier this year to mark Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee, as she became the first British monarch to reach the milestone.

Queen Elizabeth passed away at the age of 96 on Sept. 8 at Balmoral Castle, her vacation home in Scotland.

After lying in state at Westminster Hall, where mourners reportedly waited for miles to pay their respects, the queen's funeral is scheduled to take place Sept. 19 at 6 a.m. ET / 3 a.m. PT. The day will be a national bank holiday for the residents of the United Kingdom.

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According to the palace, the coffin carrying the queen's body will be taken in procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey, the site of her 1953 coronation and her 1947 wedding to Prince Philip. After the service, the coffin will travel in Procession to Wellington Arch, after which it will travel to Windsor Castle.

Once the coffin reaches Windsor, the State Hearse will travel in Procession to St. George's Chapel in the area, where a Committal Service will be held.

Several members of the royal family, including the queen's eldest son King Charles III, his children Prince William and Prince Harry and their wives Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle are expected to be in attendance.

Prince George, 9, and Princess Charlotte, 7, the eldest children of William and Kate -- who are now known as the Prince and Princess of Wales -- have also been confirmed to be attending their great grandmother's state funeral and committal services, per the palace.

A look at some key moments in the life of Queen Elizabeth II.

The day before funeral, King Charles, 73, issued a message of thanks to the nation as it prepares to say a "last farewell" to his mother.

"Over the last ten days, my wife and I have been so deeply touched by the many messages of condolence and support we have received from this country and across the world," his Sept. 18 statement read. "In London, Edinburgh, Hillsborough and Cardiff we were moved beyond measure by everyone who took the trouble to come and pay their respects to the lifelong service of my dear mother, The late Queen."

The statement continued, "As we all prepare to say our last farewell, I wanted simply to take this opportunity to say thank you to all those countless people who have been such a support and comfort to my Family and myself in this time of grief."

Queen Elizabeth II: A Royal Life in Pictures

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