Queen argues over crown with US celebrity photographer

Wed Jul 11, 3:48 PM ET

Queen Elizabeth II had a row with celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz, who suggested she remove her crown for a portrait earlier this year, according to a BBC documentary pre-released Wednesday.

In March, ahead of a state visit to the United States, the monarch sat for four portraits by Leibovitz, who is famous for taking pictures such as one of Hollywood actress Demi Moore when she was naked and heavily pregnant.

Leibovitz suggested that the queen, who was also wearing ceremonial robes, remove her crown for the shoot, but Elizabeth was not amused.

"I think it will look better without the crown because the garter robe is so..," Leibovitz said, before the queen interrupted her.

"Less dressy? What do you think this is?" the monarch hit back, pointing at what she was wearing and giving her an icy stare.

The queen then walked off, with an official carrying the large train of her blue velvet cape, and telling another: "I'm not changing anything. I've had enough dressing like this, thank you very much."

"A Year With The Queen," a behind-the-scenes look at royal life, has been filmed over the last year and will be broadcast in September or October.

Other footage from the documentary shows the US President George W. Bush saying of the queen: "She's got a neat twinkle in her eye."

During the queen's visit to the US, Bush blundered by saying the monarch had visited the United States "in 17 -- in 1976" to mark the 200th anniversary of its Declaration of Independence from Britain.

After the queen glanced up at him from under her wide-brimmed black hat, he winked at her before joking to the laughing audience: "She gave me a look that only a mother could give a child."

BBC1 controller Peter Fincham described the scene with Leibovitz as "a very memorable little sequence."

Copyright (C) 2007 Agence France Presse.