The “thinned monarchy” that Carlos III wants, with working relatives and without some characters considered toxic to the House of Windsor, appeared in all its splendor this Monday when the first official portraits of the monarchy were published. Coronation of the British King and his wife, Queen Camilla.
On the last of the three public holidays the United Kingdom had, Charles III expressed his “most sincere thanks” to the British for making his coronation “such a special occasion.” That was, according to the king, “the greatest possible gift for the coronation.”
Gallery: the best images of the coronation of kings Carlos III and Camilla
Among the official portraits there is one of Carlos III holding the Scepter of the Sovereign with the Cross that presents the magnificent Cullinan I diamond and in his left hand the Orb of the Sovereign, which represents that his power derives from God.
Charles III, 74, also wears the Robe of State, made of purple silk velvet and embroidered in gold, first worn by his grandfather, King George VI, in 1937.
The Imperial State Crown, the centerpiece of the crown jewelsformed by an openwork gold frame with three very large stones and set with 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 269 pearls, appears on the king’s head.
Queen Camilla, 75, appears alone in another of the portraits and next to the king, standing in one of the most imposing halls of Buckingham Palace. In all the images, the king’s wife wears the crown that she received at the same ceremony on Saturday.
The largest diamond in the world appeared at the coronation of Carlos III and Camilla
But the most striking photo is the one in which the kings appear together with ten other members of the royal family, the “senior” members or workers of the monarchy.in which people like Prince Harry, son of the king, or Prince Andrew are conspicuous by their absence.
It is about what the British press called the “slimmed down monarchy”, the slimmed down monarchy that Carlos wants: smaller, more hard-working and less expensive.
The group photograph shows from left to right: the Duke of Kent, Elizabeth II’s cousin; the Duchess of Gloucester and her husband the Duke of Gloucester, Elizabeth’s cousin; Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence and his wife Princess Anne.
after the king Prince William and his wife the Princess of Wales appear, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and wife of Prince Edward; Princess Alejandra, cousin of the deceased queen; and Prince Edward.
The presence of Princess Royal Anne to her brother’s right is “very significant” and “shows a lot that he appreciates her and will trust her,” royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said.
Prince Harry attended the coronation of Charles III without Meghan and without an assigned role
The chronicler thinks that the proximity of Princess Anne in the family portrait to the King “is not an accident”, but a recognition of his experience and industriousness, since he is the hardest-working person in the royal family.
“The king knows how popular he is, so it’s no coincidence that his sister is by his side,” he said. “He shows a lot how much he appreciates her and how much he will trust her, he is extremely popular and has a high profile. People know who he is and respect her, that’s very important.”
Fitzwilliams said that the shocking photo represents a “challenge” for the king in the future, who will have to decide “how small he wants the monarchy to be”noting that 8 of the people in the image are over 70 years old.
Out of the picture were Prince Andrew, the disgraced brother of Charles III, and Harry, the monarch’s rebellious son, who flew back to the United States just two hours after his father’s coronation.
Máxima and Letizia, two queens in the center of attention during the coronation of Carlos III
Andrew and Harry attended the coronation on Saturday, but without a formal role, they were relegated to the third row of seats in the royal family and did not join them later in greeting the crowds from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
To prevent them from gaining prominence, Carlos III asked to eliminate the ritual of the “royal blood tribute”, in which all the males of the royal family swear allegiance to the king, and only Prince William fulfilled it as Prince of Wales.
The Duke of Sussex, Harry, and his American wife Meghan Markle stepped down from their royal duties in 2020 and have since unleashed a series of stinging attacks on the monarchy.
It was the first time Harry had joined his family since he lashed out at them in his memoir “Spare” and in a series of television interviews. Meghan stayed in California with her children, thus avoiding potentially awkward interactions with her in-laws.
Andrew, 63, was sent to the royal “freezer” after being linked to the late American financier Jeffrey Epsteinwho committed suicide in prison in 2019, and a sexual abuse lawsuit that was settled out of court.
Later, an American woman, Virginia Giuffre, said she was pressured to have sex with the prince when she was 17. She said she was “handed over” to the prince by Epstein, who was convicted in 2008 of procuring a child for prostitution.
Crowns, rain and protests: the 10 key moments of the coronation of Carlos III and Camilla
Andrés denied the allegations in a November 2019 BBC interview that was, however, poorly received and heavily criticized. In a matter of days, walked away from his endorsements and in May 2020 permanently resigned from all public office.
The case was settled out of court in February 2022, with Giuffre accepting a donation to her charity and admitting no liability on Andres’s part.
Queen Elizabeth II’s “favorite son” participated in the events surrounding his mother’s funeral but, beyond the mourning, Carlos III showed no signs of allowing his younger brother to return to public life.
Harry, also relegated to the rank of non-working relatives of the monarchy, spoke briefly with some family members before leaving for the airport and flying to the United States.
Who’s who in the photo of the royal family
1. Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (88 years old), Queen Elizabeth II’s first cousin; 2. The Duchess of Gloucester (76); 3. Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (81), Elizabeth II’s first cousin; 4. Sir Timothy Laurence (68), husband of Princess Anne; 5. Princess Anne (73); 6. King Carlos III (74); 7. Queen Camilla (75); 8. Prince William (40), Prince of Wales; 9. Kate, Princess of Wales (40); 10. Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (58); 11. Princess Alejandra (87), cousin of Elizabeth II; 12. Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (59).
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