A recently revealed official portrait of King Charles III, set to adorn public buildings in the United Kingdom, emanates from a photograph captured at Windsor Castle the previous year.
The striking image portrays the king donned in a Royal Navy Admiral of the Fleet uniform, embellished with an array of distinguished medals.
Public entities, encompassing courts, schools, and councils, are eligible to solicit complimentary oak-framed reproductions of the portrait, lensed by photographer Hugo Burnand. The framed masterpiece boasts dimensions of 64 centimeters by 51 centimeters.
Renowned British photographer Burnand maintains longstanding affiliations with the royal family, having previously documented significant events like Charles and Queen Camilla’s coronation, as well as orchestrating official photographic coverage for both Charles and Camilla’s 2005 nuptials and William and Catherine’s wedding in 2011.
The UK Cabinet Office underscored the continuation of a tradition, akin to the display of official portraits of Queen Elizabeth II in public institutions. Despite this, the portrait initiative, tagged with an £8 million ($10.1 million) price, encountered criticism from the anti-monarchy group Republic, labeling it a “shameful waste of money.”
Republic’s chief executive, Graham Smith, decried the expenditure, especially during times of rising taxes and reduced public services. The Cabinet Office, however, asserted that the unveiling of King Charles III’s portrait symbolizes a “new era in our history.”
As of now, the extent of public bodies seeking the portrait remains undisclosed, with the Cabinet Office indicating a lack of available figures. Scheduled deliveries for ordered portraits commence in February, while the government plans to offer commercial copies to the public.
“Official portraits of Queen Elizabeth II are currently on display in many public institutions, and the offering of the new official portrait of King Charles III will enable organizations across the UK to carry on that tradition,” the UK Cabinet Office said in a press statement last year.
However, the portrait scheme, which has a £8 million ($10.1 million) price tag, has faced criticism, with anti-monarchy group Republic describing it as a “shameful waste of money.”
“At a time when a majority of local councils are raising taxes and cutting public services, when schools and hospitals are struggling, to spend even £1 ($1.2) on this nonsense would be £1 too much,” Graham Smith, chief executive of Republic, said following the government’s announcement in April.
The UK’s Cabinet Office said in a press release Monday that the king’s portrait will “reflect the new era in our history.”
