Royal portraiture has long been a type of propaganda, as kings and queens use paintings and photographs to present an approved image to their subjects. Presenting a fresh assessment of the importance of portraiture in the image-making of British monarchs from Richard II to the present day, this book draws directly from the Royal Collection. Starting with the stylized royal portraits of the early kings, this overview also covers works by Hans Holbein, Anthony van Dyck, Johan Zoffany, Edwin Landseer, and Lucian Freud, whose portrait of Queen Elizabeth II remains the most controversial of them all.