Scottish artist's royal role

Elizabeth Blackadder: the new 'painter laureate'

A Scottish artist has been appointed "painter laureate" by the Queen.

Elizabeth Blackadder is the first woman to hold the 300-year-old position of Her Majesty's Painter and Limner in Scotland.

Scotland's late first minister, Donald Dewar, had nominated the Edinburgh-based artist for the historic post.

Falkirk-born Ms Blackadder, 68, is best known for her pictures of flowers and cats. She was awarded the OBE in 1982.

Commenting on her appointment she said: "In some ways I was quite surprised to hear, because it has been quite a long time."

The prestigious position has previously been held by Sir Henry Raeburn and Sir David Wilkie.

Elizabeth Blackadder: First woman to hold the position

The lifelong position is unpaid and has been an honorary one, with no public duties since 1933.

It has been vacant since the death of Dr David Donaldson in 1997, who famously painted the Queen in her Thistle robes.

Ms Blackadder - whose paintings fetch up to £20,000 - was the first woman to become an Academician of both the Royal Scottish Academy and the Royal Academy.

Edinburgh University Professor Duncan MacMillan believes she is the perfect person for the job.

He said: "I increasingly came to see her as an artist with a very individual personality, who also nonetheless, fits very clearly into the mainstream of modern art in Scotland."

Professor MacMillan: Admires artistic talents

Scotland's Minister for Sport and Culture, Sam Galbraith, also welcomed the appointment.

He said: "Widely honoured by the academic community in Scotland, her originality and her artistic distinction have been to the forefront of art in Scotland and the UK for over 20 years."

The new Royal artist studied Fine Art at Edinburgh University and Edinburgh College of Art from 1949 to 1954.

After winning scholarships to visit Yugoslavia, Greece and Italy, she was on the full-time staff of the Edinburgh College of Art from 1962 to 1986.

A painting by Ms Blackadder in the Duke of Edinburgh's own art collection has been put on display at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.