By Allen Voivod
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has become the longest ruling monarch in British history. She ascended to the throne in February 1952, and she's now the first British monarch to observe a Platinum Jubilee, for her 70 years of service. Barbie honors this pivotal milestone with a remarkable new doll created in the Queen's likeness.
The Barbie Signature Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Doll arrived today in our online shop. Our Gold Label Queen Elizabeth II Doll is available for $75, with a limit of three (3) dolls per person. This eminently collectible doll, sculpted in the Queen's likeness, celebrates her extraordinary reign, during which she's led with an immeasurable devotion to duty.
To bring this regal representation into reality, we turned to Senior Director of Barbie Design Robert Best to head up our project team. One of the first challenges was to create a gown suitable for Her Majesty. You may have seen it described as "inspired by the Queen's iconic looks," but what does that mean?
Robert spilled the tea for us: "The gown is not a copy of any one dress she wears, but rather a gown inspired by the style and color of gown that she's favored in royal portraits of herself for the past several years," he explains. "If you look at those portraits or how she dresses for important events, she very much has a signature style and look – always a very simple design in white or ivory, which makes sense given that she must then wear all the accompanying jewelry and sash as befits her rank."
For our doll, the sash he's referring to is the blue riband, adorned with decorations of order. And then, of course, there's the crown itself! Luckily, Robert was a perfect choice for this project in more ways than one. "I loved working on the accompanying jewelry, being a fan of the Crown Jewels myself," he reveals. "I've been fortunate to see the actual Crown Jewels in the Tower of London Museum! It was a cool opportunity to recreate some of them in miniature. I worked closely with (Product Design Manager) Monica LaValle, who did the technical drawings that were then translated by our sculptors."
Each of the pieces has a history and a meaning, which was important for Robert, Monica, and the sculpting team to get just right. "The tiara is based on Queen Mary's Fringe Tiara, and the little medallions on ribbons are the Royal Family Orders," Robert says. "The pink ribbon was given to the Queen by her father George VI, and the pale blue by her grandfather George V. Creating miniatures of all the jewelry did have some challenges, as capturing the details becomes increasingly difficult at such a small scale. I think Monica and the sculpting team did an amazing job and I love the way they turned out!"
What Robert says about the doll's gown, that it's not based on any one specific outfit worn by the Queen, also applies to how our team researched and planned out the photo shoot. "The approach for photographing a doll that represents an actual person, in this case the Queen, is different from our strategy for shooting a fashion doll," says photographer Paul Jordan. "I’ll often look for reference of what would be considered an iconic photograph of the subject and emulate the lighting so that it's an instant read. We want the viewer to have a sense of familiarity with the image." That's why the photos of our Queen Elizabeth II doll are so compelling.
We know some fans may want to keep their Queen Elizabeth II doll in her doll box to preserve its collectible value. But that doesn't mean it can't be displayed as part of a royal collection! So, we made sure to create a package that would convey the majesty and importance of the doll within. "I was heavily inspired by Buckingham Palace, researching and understanding the context of different rooms inside the palace," says Packaging Designer Sal Velazquez. "I quickly noticed how much art and ornate gold foliate elements exist within the palace décor. I really gravitated toward depicting the Queen inside the throne room, as I thought the Queen’s throne and the red carpeted room with gold elements depicted royalty right away."
How, then, does that translate into a physical doll box? "The process was very fun for me!" Sal says. "I created an inner golden 3D ornate die-cut border which frames the Queen, and then it leads to the inner panel showing a hint of her throne and the red carpeting inside the palace throne room. The inner gold frame carries over to the outer clear window of package, which is printed with a crest-shaped logo and a badge commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne."
If you do decide to remove the doll from the packaging – or to get a second doll so you can still keep one in the box – you'll find a Certificate of Authenticity and a doll stand inside. You'll be able to display your Queen Elizabeth II doll in regal poses, thanks to the Made to Move petite doll body, which features more than a dozen points of articulation.
A Platinum Jubilee is an incredibly rare event, and now you have an opportunity to get a unique commemorative tribute to the Queen and her life of service. Get our Barbie Signature Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Doll today!
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