Biography: Myths and fables tell of two regal sisters who ruled together, creating harmony for all the land. The eldest used her alicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn; the younger brought out the moon to begin the night. While it is obvious today that the tales speak of the Royal Pony Sisters who rule Equestria, few, if any concrete facts are known about their history.
For over a thousand years, Princess Celestia has safeguarded her ponies, and the land of Equestria. Doing it solely from the goodness of her own heart, she didn’t ask for any compensation, nor demanded their absolute loyalty. Everything the Princess wished was for her little ponies to be protected. Contemporary times, however, are not kind to the ideals of friendship and harmony, with the onslaught of a merciless war leaving very little room for pleasantries.
Thus came the ascension of Daybreaker. Infuriated by the gall of her enemies, the former Princess, now Empress, wasted little time in reorganising the state to something far more totalitarian. Many ponies protest in the face of sudden, radical changes, but Daybreaker cares little for the complaints of a minority: all she needs is a devoted herd ready to give their all to protect Equestria.
I’m not an oldie, but after digging a little, it looks like this was indeed the old portrait. The new portrait, currently used for Empress Protector, was added in patch 1.8.3.5 released in February 2021.
