Queen Margrethe II of Denmark 342 by Andy Warhol is a portrait from the Reigning Queens series published in 1985. The portfolio includes sixteen screenprints of reigning monarchs. Among them: Queen Ntombi Twala of Swaziland, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. For additional background on the Danish monarch, see this biography of Queen Margrethe II.
Warhol’s Approach to the Reigning Queens
Warhol portrayed each queen as an individual figure with her own public identity rather than as a consort. His portraits of male leaders such as Mao Zedong and Jimmy Carter use stronger contrasts and bolder colors. In Queen Margrethe II of Denmark 342, he shifted to softer tones, giving the portrait a sense of composure and calm. The difference highlights how Warhol adapted his palette to evoke the power, mystique, and elegance he associated with the monarchs in Reigning Queens. Later, in his Reigning Queens (Royal Edition), he added diamond dust to deepen the glamour of the images.
Although Queen Margrethe II 342 uses a softer palette, Warhol still treats the queen as a celebrity figure. The collage-like blocks of color that frame the portrait are placed to pull attention toward her jewelry and crown. By washing the face in pale tones and surrounding it with brighter accents, Warhol directs the viewer’s eye to the symbols of authority rather than to expression alone. The highlights in her hair amplify this effect. They guide the gaze upward to the crown—an anchor point across the entire Reigning Queens portfolio.
Queen Margrethe II 342 Within the Reigning Queens Series
The works that make up the Reigning Queens portfolio stand among Warhol’s most resolved and technically confident portraits. Yet he grew irritated when the portfolio appeared in the United States. In his diary, he insisted it was intended only for Europe, writing: “Nobody here cares about royalty and it’ll be another bad review.” His frustration highlights how he saw the series as a commentary shaped by European ideas of monarchy, fame, and visual culture.
The colorful patches scattered across the composition depart from Warhol’s usual silkscreen portrait formula. These shapes introduce a light collage sensibility, adding rhythm while also reinforcing the queen’s status. By blending the visual language of celebrity portraiture with symbols of political authority, Warhol encourages viewers to see Margrethe II not only as a global public figure but also as the reigning monarch of Denmark.
Photo credits:
- The first official photograph of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark after her ascension to the throne in 1972. Courtesy of the Hulton and Getty archives.
- Andy Warhol signing an offset lithograph created for the promotion of the print of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. Unknown photographer.
