Buckingham Palace reveals new military portrait of King Charles III

New portrait of Charles III

Armed Forces Day in the UK is celebrated annually on the last Saturday of June, and on this occasion, palace representatives decided to present a new portrait of the king. Royal photographer Hugo Burnand took the photo. It is known that he took the photo last autumn.

The portrait shows Charles, with a slight smile, sitting in a chair. Notably, he received the rank of Field Marshal during the lifetime of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Public reaction

In the comments, people noted that this portrait is much better than the previous one:

• "Really a nice portrait, if I am really writing this."
• "I like the portrait. You can see his sensitive and intelligent eyes."
• "This is a much better portrait!"
• "In a classic style, I like it."

Previous portrait of Charles III: What was wrong with it

In May of this year, palace representatives unveiled the first official portrait of the king after his coronation. The artist was Jonathan Yeo, who has painted portraits of Tony Blair, David Attenborough, and Malala Yousafzai.

The monarch posed for about four hours in four one-hour sessions in total. The painting was displayed in the historic Drapers' Hall in Coventry.

In the bright red painting, the 75-year-old man is depicted in a uniform adorned with various awards. He holds a sword, and a butterfly can be seen on his shoulder.

As Yeo explained, the butterfly symbolizes metamorphosis and rebirth and also represents the late queen's son's interest in caring for the environment.

However, despite its deep symbolism, the portrait received mixed reactions online. While some admired the unexpected use of red, others did not understand the idea.

Here are some user comments:

• "I like it. It is quite unpredictable, artistic, and innovative."
• "A wonderful portrait of King Charles! I like this muted tone that draws attention to his face."
• "I would like it to be in a different color than red. It's too harsh."
• "From now on, this portrait will be known as the 'Strawberry Jam Portrait.'"

Charles III's health battle

Charles III continues his battle with cancer, which was diagnosed at the beginning of this year. In April, he returned to his official duties and has been making public appearances with his wife, Queen Camilla.

Previously, we shared the love story of King Charles III and Camilla, which triumphed over royal customs.

Additionally, in May, the British monarch appointed Prince William as Commander-in-Chief of the British Army's Combat Aviation.