King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s official coronation portraits have been unveiled.
To mark the second anniversary of the couple’s ascension to the throne, which took place on May 6, 2023, Buckingham Palace revealed the two paintings on Tuesday, May 6.
Charles, 76, was painted by Peter Kuhfeld, while Camilla, 77, was painted by Paul S. Benney. The royals personally selected the artists for their respective portraits, the palace said, noting that both Kuhfeld and Benney have previously collaborated with the royal family on art commissions.
Charles had five sittings for his portrait, which is set against the backdrop of the Throne Room at St. James’s Palace. The portrait features the Imperial State Crown resting on a table to the king’s left. The monarch is depicted wearing his Robe of State, which he wore during his coronation service in May 2023, as well as his naval uniform, medals and decorations.
Revisit Every Stunning Photo From King Charles III’s Coronation
“I have known His Majesty The King for over 40 years, since he was The Prince of Wales,” Kuhfeld said in a statement. “We first met when I had left the Royal Academy Schools where I had completed the postgraduate course in Painting. He asked me to paint the Princes, William and Harry, who were then 5½ and 3½ years old. Unbeknown to me, this was the first of what were to be many commissions from His Royal Highness, as I subsequently accompanied him on many of his foreign tours (as the Tour Artist).”
“When he became King in 2022, I was delighted and honoured to be commissioned by him to paint his official Coronation State Portrait. It has taken over a year and a half to complete. I have tried to produce a painting that is both human and regal, continuing the tradition of royal portraiture,” the artist continued, noting that as well as five sittings with Charles, he also sat separately with the Imperial State Crown.
As for his process, Kuhfeld explained, “I usually start with drawings to develop my ideas and then move on to several oil studies to work out problems of composition. During this time, nobody was allowed in my studio while I was working, but one evening my eldest granddaughter forgot, when coming to tell me supper was ready; she burst through the door and came to a standstill and exclaimed, ‘Oh! It’s the King!’”
Camilla undertook six sittings in the Garden Room at Clarence House. She is seen with Queen Mary’s Crown, first created for the coronation of Queen Mary in 1911, resting on a table to her right. As well as her Robe of Estate, Camilla is painted wearing the ivory-colored dress designed especially for her coronation by British designer Bruce Oldfield. The dress features silver and gold embroidered floral designs, which were recreated in Benney’s portrait.
“It was an honor, privilege and total pleasure to undertake the first official portrait of Her Majesty since The Coronation and it is with some regret that the sittings for this important commission have come to end,” Benney said in a statement. “After nearly a year of being installed in a temporary studio at Clarence House, I have deep and abiding memories of many hours of fascinating and sometime hilarious conversation with Her Majesty on countless varied subjects. I shall miss the quiet and relaxed atmosphere while I was working there even when Their Majesties were engaged elsewhere.”
Queen Camilla Is Elegant at King Charles III’s Coronation: See Her Looks
Benney continued, “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.”
The new portraits will go on display at the National Gallery in London from Tuesday until June 5, before they move to their permanent home in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace.
