On Tuesday, the United Kingdom unveiled the official coronation portraits of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The royals were painted by artists Peter Kuhfeld and Paul Benney, respectively, to commemorate the 2023 coronation.
In his portrait, Charles can be seen standing in a stately red room clad in his coronation regalia next to a plinth with the Imperial State Crown. Sunlight from a nearby window further illuminates the crown and king.
Camilla, meanwhile, is shown in photorealistic detail wearing a powder blue silk coronation dress. She, too, stands next to a royal crown and robe set up on a plinth. The background is more neutral and subdued in dark teal.
Both appear to gaze outward toward the viewer.
“My guiding principles in this commission were to both acknowledge the grand and historic nature of the coronation iconography with all the equipage of the monarchy, and at the same time reveal the humanity and empathy of such an extraordinary person taking on an extraordinary role,” Benney said in a statement.
Kuhfeld said in a statement that the painting of Charles took “over a year and a half to complete.” He added that he “tried to produce a painting that is both human and regal, continuing the tradition of royal portraiture.”
For those hoping to catch a glimpse, the portraits are currently on view at the National Gallery in London.
A tradition among the British Monarchy, coronation portraits are known for not only capturing the royals but often indicating visual references to their power. The Royal Collection oversees these works, with the earliest of their kind dating to around 1620, with King James VI rendered in his coronation robes. There hasn’t been a royal portrait since that of Elizabeth II in 1953.
King Charles’s first official portrait by Jonathan Yeo was released to mixed reactions last year. The painting shows Charles enveloped in red, which drew comparisons to blood and fire. It was subsequently defaced by animal rights activists.
The unveiling also follows the recent release of President Donald Trump’s portrait placed within the White House. The new painting features Trump raising his fist in the air, following a pivotal moment on the campaign trail, while seeking a second term, when a gunman attempted to assassinate Trump at an event in Butler, Pennsylvania.
