The Queen's sitting room at Balmoral

Pictured: The Queen's sitting room at Balmoral... and a photo of great-grandson George takes pride of place

• Photo of visit from New Zealand Prime Minister John key shows portrait of Queen's great-grandson
• The picture was taken by the Duchess of Cambridge's father Michael Middleton
• Other notable objects in the Queen's sitting room include a toy corgi and an electric heater

A portrait of newborn Prince George takes pride of place in the Queen's sitting room at Balmoral, a new picture has revealed.
The famous image, taken by the Duchess of Cambridge's father Michael Middleton, is prominently displayed in her Scottish Highlands home.

This picture, taken during a visit by New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key, offers a rare glimpse into the monarch's home life.
Incongruous among the priceless portraits of former royals, we see a toy corgi, a pair of dog baskets and an electric convection heater in the fireplace.

A RARE INSIGHT INTO THE SCOTTISH RETREAT OF HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN

1. Portrait of a young Queen Victoria, painted by noted Hungarian artist Charles Brocky in 1841. She was the Queen's great great-grandmother.
2. Portrait of the young Prince Albert, also by Brocky. He died in 1861, aged just 42.
3. The Duke of York, the Queen's second son and third child, with his daughter Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.
4. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their son Prince George, born in July.
5. Corgi dog baskets. The corgi is a breed beloved by the Queen.
6. A corgi stuffed toy.
7. A plug-in electric convection heater.
8. A carpet in the Royal Stewart Hunting Tartan, AKA the Royal Tartan.

The portraits are of a young Queen Victoria - the Queen's great, great grandmother - and Prince Albert, both painted by Hungarian artist Charles Brocky in 1841.
More immediate family pictures include a portrait of the Duke of York and his daughters Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.
The image of Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge was taken with a humble ‘point and shoot’ wielded by Kate’s father, Michael Middleton in the Middletons’ sun-dappled back garden in Berkshire, with family pets Lupo and Tilly even getting in on the act.
The finished result may have charm but is technically poor and lacks the gravitas of previous official photographs, according to experts.

Critics seized on Mr Middleton’s decision to break the cardinal rule of photography – shooting into the light.

The Duke, Prince William and Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine with their son, Prince George in the garden of the Middleton family home in Bucklebury, Berkshire, England

Artworks: Hungarian artist Charles Brocky was commissioned to carry out these portraits of the young Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1841. The artist had arrived in London in 1838 and his chalk portraits were widely admired

But according to celebrity photographer Brian Aris, the snapshots are ‘refreshing’.
He said: ‘It’s an unusual decision but perhaps reflects the young approach that Prince William wants to bring to bear.

‘The decision to take them in such an informal manner means they, perhaps, lack the level of gravitas that would normally be expected.

'But on the whole I would say this is quite refreshing.’

Previous royal heirs, Prince William included, have had their first official portraits taken by society legends such as Sir Cecil Beaton and Lord Snowdon, a relative because of his marriage to the Queen's sister.

Beloved pets: A corgi stuffed toy (left) and corgi dog baskets (right) show just how heavily the beloved breed features in the Queen's life at Balmoral

Balmoral Castle, located in Ballater, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, has been one of the residences of the British Royal Family since 1852