Queen Elizabeth II Barbie doll celebrates Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee!

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has become the longest ruling monarch in British history. She ascended the throne in February 1952 and is now the first British monarch to observe a platinum jubilee, marking her 70 years of service. Barbie pays tribute to this pivotal milestone with an extraordinary new doll created in the likeness of the Queen.

The Barbie Signature Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Doll arrived today in our online store. 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 likeness of the Queen, celebrates her extraordinary reign, during which she has been led with immeasurable devotion to duty.

To bring this majestic rendering to life, we turned to Barbie Design Senior Director Robert Best to lead our project team. One of the first challenges was to create a dress suitable for her Majesty. You may have seen it described as "inspired by the Queen's iconic look", but what does that mean?

Robert spilled the tea for us: "The dress is not a copy of any of the dresses she wears, but rather a dress inspired by the style and color of the dress she has liked in actual portraits of herself over the years." ", Explain. . “If you look at those portraits or how she dresses for important events, she has a distinctive style and look, always a very simple design in white or ivory, which makes sense given that she then has to wear all the jewelry and sashes that go with it. as befits his rank."

For our doll, the sash she refers to is the blue ribbon, adorned with order ornaments. And then, of course, there is the crown itself! Fortunately, Robert was the perfect choice for this project in more ways than one. "I loved working on the accompanying jewels, being a Crown Jewels fan myself," she reveals. "I was lucky enough to see the real Crown Jewels at the Tower of London Museum! It was a great opportunity to recreate some of them in miniature. I worked closely with (Product Design Manager) Monica LaValle, who made the technical drawings that were later translated by our sculptors".

Each of the pieces has a story and meaning, which was important for Robert, Monica and the team of sculptors to get it right. "The tiara is based on Queen Mary's Fringe tiara, and the little medallions on the ribbons are the orders of the royal family," says Robert. "The pink ribbon was given to the Queen by her father George VI and the light blue one was given to her by her grandfather George V. Creating miniatures of all the jewels had some challenges as capturing the details becomes increasingly difficult as such a small scale. I think Monica and the team of sculptors did an amazing job and I love how they turned out!"

What Robert says about the doll's dress, which is not based on any specific outfit worn by the Queen, also applies to how our team researched and planned the photo shoot. "The approach to photographing a doll representing a real person, in this case the Queen, is different from our strategy to photographing a fashion doll," says photographer Paul Jordan. "I often look for references to what would be considered an iconic photograph of the subject and simulate the lighting to make it 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 attractive.

We know that some fans will want to keep their Queen Elizabeth II doll in their doll box to preserve its collectible value. But that doesn't mean it can't be displayed as part of a royal collection! Therefore, we made sure to create a package that conveyed the majesty and importance of the doll it contains. "I took a lot of inspiration from Buckingham Palace, researching and understanding the context of the different rooms within the palace," says packaging designer Sal Velazquez. "I quickly realized how much art and ornate gold leaf elements exist within the palace décor. I really leaned towards depicting the Queen within the throne room, as I thought the Queen's throne and the red-carpeted room with gold elements represented royalty immediately."

So how does that translate to a physical doll box? "The process was a lot of fun for me!" says Sal. "I created an interior gold 3D ornate die-cut border that frames the Queen, and then leads to the interior panel that shows a hint of her throne and the red carpet inside the palace's throne room. The interior gold frame is moves to the outside of the package's transparent window, which is printed with a shield-shaped logo and an insignia commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne."

If you decide to remove the doll from the packaging, or buy a second doll so you can keep one in the box, you will 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 mini doll body, which features more than a dozen points of articulation.

A Platinum Jubilee is an incredibly rare event, and now you have the opportunity to obtain a unique commemorative tribute to the Queen and her life of service. Get our Barbie Signature Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Doll today!