Meghan painted as ‘influential outsider’ White Queen
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are portrayed as Bonnie Prince Charlie and the White Queen
The Duchess of Sussex has been portrayed as the White Queen in a nod to her “influential” outsider status.
Artist Dan Llywelyn Hall depicted Meghan, 42, as Dame Elizabeth Grey, who became Queen of England after marrying Edward IV in 1464, and Prince Harry, 39, as Charles Edward Stuart, otherwise known as Bonnie Prince Charlie.
He said: “I thought putting Meghan in the role of the White Queen, who was a queen consort and possibly the most influential ‘outsider’ in royal history, might have a fine irony to it and not necessarily beyond the realms of reality.”
Llywelyn Hall, who at 32 was the youngest artist to paint Elizabeth II, has produced 10 new portraits inspired by royalty throughout history for the Society of Antiquaries. Artist Adam Dant has painted a further 10 works.
Their exhibition, titled The Reign, marks the 150th anniversary of the society, which is based at Burlington House in London’s Piccadilly, and will be auctioned to support the cataloguing and digitisation of around 25,000 prints and drawings from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Artist Dan Llywelyn Hall with another of his works, portraits of the Dambusters aircrew - Heathcliff O'Malley
Llywelyn Hall said: “The Royal family is possibly the most enthralling, longest-running drama in history, the inspiration of theatre, books and every art form.
“It seemed that these figures caught on the knife edge of public opinion were ideal for drawing comparisons from distant monarchs – like the exiled princes and princesses of the past, that lurk in the background but are still irrevocably tied to the job.
“We can’t help ourselves and wonder whatever next?”
He added: “In Harry’s case, I have entered the story before he met Meghan – the young party-goer with his future very much in the balance, a bit like the Bonnie Prince I have likened him to.”
It comes after the Duchess was depicted as the Queen in an oil painting featured in a video released by Beyoncé and her husband, rapper Jay-Z, in 2019.
Beyoncé said at the time that the picture was in honour of “Melanated Monas”, understood to be a reference to the Duchess’ biracial heritage and one of the world’s most famous paintings, the Mona Lisa.
Llywelyn Hall was commissioned by the Welsh Rugby Union to create a portrait of Elizabeth II, with the late Queen sitting for him at Windsor Castle in 2012.
The artist’s royal works have since included a portrait marking Prince William becoming a father, a live painting of Elizabeth II’s state funeral and the King’s Coronation procession.
Reflecting on his previous and latest pieces of royal art, he said: “I see the subject of royalty utterly irresistible and rich succour for art.
“The funeral piece and the subsequent King’s Coronation piece are part of that lineage and my part in interpreting our times.”
He acknowledged there was now a large amount of photography of the Royal family but said a painting could have “greater authenticity”.
The Cardiff-born artist’s other pieces for The Reign include portraits of Mary I, Mary of Austria, Henry VI and Anglo-Saxon king Athelstan, who ruled from 927 until his death in 939.
He has also included Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, known as Llywelyn the Last, one of the most powerful princes of Gwynedd, having discovered there were “virtually zero depictions” of Welsh nobility.
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