19/09/2008 06:36:00
A famous painting of Princess Margaret is to go on display at London's National Portrait Gallery.
The 1957 portrait, painted by Italian artist Pietro Annigoni, originally hung on the wall of Princess Margaret's Kensington Palace apartment. However, after her death from a stroke in February of 2002 - six weeks before the death of the Queen Mother - the portrait was acquired by her son, Viscount Linley.
The Viscount auctioned the portrait off in 2006, along with a collection of personal possessions, in order to pay a £3 million inheritance tax on the princess' estate. However, he eventually bought it back anonymously, for £680,000 - three times its sale estimate. His reasons for re-purchasing the portrait are undisclosed, but he chose to lift his anonymity after speculations regarding the buyer's identity arose.
Artist Annigoni expressed an interest in painting Angus-born Princess Margaret in 1954, when he was painting the first of his portraits of the monarch. In this particular painting, he depicted the princess in an English garden, describing her as being "enveloped in an aura of sensuality".
The sittings for the piece began in 1956 - a year after the Princess called off plans to marry Group Captain Peter Townshend. It is said that Princess Margaret and artist Annigoni spoke French to one another during the 33 sittings that were required to finish the portrait.
Annigoni , who died in 1988, also painted two portraits of the Queen - one of which also hangs in the National Portrait Gallery.