Queen gets her own Barbie doll to honour Platinum Jubilee
21 April 2022, 00:18
The creators of Barbie have unveiled a doll in honour of Queen Elizabeth II, with an elegant ivory gown and blue ribbon adorned with decorations of order making the figure "instantly recognisable".
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The honorary doll has been released on the Queen's 96th birthday ahead of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June.
Mattel, which has made and sold more than a million Barbie dolls, said the honorary doll will be part of its Tribute Collection.
The collection was launched last year in celebration of "visionary individuals with an outstanding impact and legacy within society".
It even features a tiara modelled on Queen Mary's fringe tiara, which the Queen wore when she married the Duke of Edinburgh in November 1947.
The pink ribbon on the doll imitates one given to the Queen by her father George VI, and the pale blue imitates one from her grandfather George V.
The doll will be sold at Harrods, Hamley's, Selfridges, John Lewis and on Amazon.
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It will be presented in a box inspired by the styles of Buckingham Palace, made from a 3D ornate die-cut border framing the figure, and an inner panel showing the throne and the red carpet of the throne room.
The Queen has flown from Windsor to Sandringham, where she will spend her 96th birthday on Thursday with friends and family expected to visit over the coming days.
The monarch flew by helicopter after an eventful Easter break that saw the Duke and Duchess of Sussex visit her.
Harry has said his grandmother was "on great form" when they met before he and wife Meghan travelled to Holland for the Invictus Games.
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But he pointedly added he wanted to make sure she was "protected" and had "the right people around her", yet did not elaborate in the NBC's Today show interview whether he was referring to palace aides or the royal family.
It is thought the monarch will stay at the Duke of Edinburgh's cottage Wood Farm while at Sandringham, a property she said her late husband "loved" and part of its attraction was because the "sea was so close".
