Photocopy of Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II; a painting by M M Kaye

NOTES: This portrait of Her Majesty The Queen was painted by Mrs Mollie Hamilton (authoress of the popular novel The Far Pavilions), wife of Major General Goff Hamilton, Chief JSLO 1963-66. Whilst in Berlin they were told that each Brigade Commander of the British Brigade had to have a portrait of Her Majesty The Queen, each being expected to supply his own. Mrs Hamilton painted this portrait as a result of not being able to find a picture available of Her Majesty which both she and the Major General liked. The Annigoni picture was the popular one at the time and they wanted something a little different. She asked the Palace for permission and was told that any loyal subject was free to paint a picture of Her Majesty. This one hung in the hall in their house in Berlin and they brought it with them to the Villa Spiritus. Once it was seen here half the female population in Bonn wanted Mrs Hamilton to paint their portrait for them, but she explained that she did not normally paint portraits and that this was a "one-off". When the Hamiltons left Bonn they were asked to leave the portrait here "on permanent loan". Following the death of Major General Hamilton, Paul Mapstone an Admin Clerk here provided Mrs Hamilton with a very fine photograph of the portrait, a copy of which she subsequently had made into a Birthday Card to be presented to Her Majesty The Queen for her 60th birthday in 1986.