Queen Elizabeth wouldn’t let her hands be photographed

Glaswegian-born photographer Rankin, who has worked with David Bowie, Kate Moss and Madonna, spoke about his experience with Queen Elizabeth in the Tea with Twiggy podcast. He said that as soon as she entered the room ‘this wave of empowerment washes over you.’Rankin said: ‘I’ve never felt that aura and she was just so funny from the minute she walked in.The photographer added that the Queen said she disliked her hands as a ‘get out’ when he tried to make her pose with a sword.He said: ‘I was like, ‘I really want to photograph you holding the sword,’ and she said, ‘I don’t like my hands.’ [I thought] that’s the best ‘get out’ for holding the sword.’I’m probably not supposed to say that [she disliked her hands], but what I loved about her is she’s so smart and everything in response that she was saying had this amazing twist to it.’It was just really, really brilliant. I loved it – I spent five minutes with her, so I don’t know her intimately.’ Queen Elizabeth didn’t like her hands being photographed claims a famous photographer (Image: Getty Images) John Rankin Waddell took the Queen’s photograph in 2002 (Image: Getty Images)Despite the Queen’s reluctance, Rankin was later contacted by Buckingham Palace and was told his portrait of Her Majesty was their favourite because she was smiling so much.He said: ‘I got a really amazing note where the curator said my photograph of her is one of their favourites – which I think means the Palace’s favourite – because she’s really laughing in my picture.’His idea for the photo came when he saw Queen Elizabeth interacting with people working within the Palace before the photoshoot.The photographer said: ‘I was in the throne room and she was walking down this corridor and I could see her and the footman walking.READ MORE: Queen Mother pushed back against Queen and Philip engagement The Queen almost always had her hands hidden in public as she chose to wear gloves. (Image: Getty Images) The Queen was described by Rankin as having a “great sense of humour” (Image: Getty Images)’They were both laughing, just cracking up, and I was like, ‘That’s what I want.’ So that was in my head the whole time.’In an earlier interview in 2002, the photographer also revealed that the Queen teased him a little while getting her photograph taken and that he was originally ‘tongue-tied’ while meeting her.He said: ‘I’m never nervous but she walked into the room and all of a sudden I was a bundle of nerves.’She’s got a great sense of humour, and she took the mickey out of me . . . The sync lead fell out of my camera and she started smiling and joking. She said, ‘Oh, you do have a lot of equipment, don’t you?’ ‘DON’T MISS:King ‘surprisingly unknown and misunderstood’, expert claims [REPORT]Prince Harry wanted to raise Archie in Africa – new claim [INSIGHT]Harry wrote emotional letter to bereaved Armed Forces children [REVWAL] The Queen had her own glovemakers since the 1940s, who have described her style as “iconic” (Image: Getty Images)Queen Elizabeth almost always had her hands hidden in public as she chose to wear gloves while performing royal duties.Cornelia James has been the Queen’s glovemaker since the 1940s and when she passed away in 1999, her daughter Genevieve took over the royal service.Genevieve has said that Queen had her own style which she usually wore all the time and said: ‘You never see her without her hat, her handbag or her gloves…They are part of her integral style and she’s iconic.’However, there may have been one other reason the Queen wore her famous accessory.Genevieve said: ‘She wears gloves because she’s shaking a lot of hands. I think they protect her hands. Primarily, she wears gloves because it’s her style. I can guarantee whenever she’s out and about, she’s always got one pair in her handbag as well in case she loses them.”The glove-maker added: ‘The mind’s eye picture of the queen is of her sitting in her black limousine and from the corner of the car you see the white-gloved hand waving. I feel proud that I know it’s usually our gloves.”