A portrait of one of England’s greatest monarchs has been chosen by Lord Mandelson to appear in an exhibition of government art.

The Labour peer was one of seven people, including the Prime Minister’s wife, chosen to select work for the first ever public exhibition of the government art collection.

The paintings, including the portrait in oils of Queen Elizabeth I by an anonymous artist, will go on show at the Whitechapel Gallery in east London next June.

Mrs Cameron chose a work by LS Lowry called Lancashire Fair: Good Friday, Daisy Nook while former Cabinet minister Lord Boateng chose Peas Are The New Beans by Bob and Roberta Smith – actually the pseudonym of artist Patrick Brill.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Culture Minister Ed Vaizey also chose work for the exhibition.

Mr Vaizey said the collection was “a unique cultural resource”.

He said: “Thousands of works are already on display around the world and are regularly seen by the numerous visitors to government buildings, but this is the first time that some of the many highlights have been brought together in one place for the benefit of the wider public.

“I have no doubt that this will be a must-see exhibition, and the carefully choreographed series of displays at the Whitechapel Gallery is sure to draw art lovers from around the world.”

More works from the 13,500-strong collection, which dates back to the 16th century, will be shown in further exhibitions at the gallery and then go on tour to the Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery and Ulster Museum in 2012 and 2013.