LONDON. A portrait with all the trappings of royalty, sealed with the glitter of some of the most significant traditional symbols that monarchs have sported for centuries. It is the image of the first official portrait of King Charles III released today by Buckingham Palace, two days after the solemn coronation which finally saw the 74-year-old eldest son of Elizabeth II formally consecrated as British sovereign alongside his consort, Queen Camilla. The shot is signed by Hugo Burnand, a portraitist dear to the court who had already been chosen as photographer of the coronation ceremony, as well as of the marriage rite between the current heir to the throne William and his wife Kate and, even earlier, to immortalize the wedding between Charles and Camilla in 2005.
His Majesty appears seated on a throne upholstered in red satin, leaning slightly to his left, with the rich state crown on his head and the royal mantle of ermine, purple velvet and gold trim on his shoulders. In his right hand he holds the scepter of the Windsor house, surmounted by the cross which also symbolizes his role as nominal head of the Church of England, and in his left hand the Sovereign’s Orb, the golden globe weighing 1.3 kilos, studded of precious stones and made in 1661, which represents his temporal authority.
Following this, the official court Twitter account released two more photographs: the official post-coronation portrait of the queen, immortalized standing in a hall of the palace, wearing an ivory white dress, also a long cloak and the sparkling royal crown placed on the head: and then that of Charles and Camilla in pairs, dressed in the same parade decorations, with their heads slightly inclined towards each other. In the third image, King Charles III exhibits a slight smile, with semi-closed lips, while Queen Camilla offers a decidedly wider one. These other two photos were also taken by Hugo Burnand.
