King Charles III and Queen Camilla unveiled their official coronation portraits Tuesday at London's National Gallery, marking the second anniversary of their May 6, 2023 ascension to the throne. The paintings, commissioned by the royal couple and created by artists long associated with the monarchy, will remain on public display for six weeks before joining the Royal Collection at Buckingham Palace.
The portraits were painted by Peter Kuhfeld and Paul S. Benney, who depicted Charles and Camilla respectively. Kuhfeld, a Royal Academy of Arts graduate and longtime royal collaborator, portrayed the King in full ceremonial regalia, including his naval uniform, medals, decorations, the Imperial State Crown, and the Robe of State, set against the Throne Room at St. James's Palace.
"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," Kuhfeld said. "His Majesty gave of his time with his usual graciousness and attention to detail... He gave me five sittings in total, not including the painting of the Imperial State Crown."
The artist, who previously painted young Princes William and Harry and accompanied the King on royal tours as an official "Tour Artist," shared a personal anecdote about his granddaughter mistakenly walking in on the work in progress. "She burst through the door and came to a standstill and exclaimed, 'Oh! It's the King!'"
Queen Camilla's portrait, painted by Benney over a year of sittings at Clarence House, shows her wearing her Coronation gown by Bruce Oldfield and the Queen Mary Crown, resting on a table beside her. Camilla praised the finished work, stating during the unveiling: "I just love it." Her daughter, Laura Lopes, who observed the portrait's progress, added, "It's so incredible. It's very flattering," prompting Camilla to jokingly reply, "Don't say it's very flattering!"
"It was an honor, privilege and total pleasure to undertake the first official portrait of Her Majesty since The Coronation," Benney said. "I shall miss the quiet and relaxed atmosphere... even when Their Majesties were engaged elsewhere." He emphasized that his aim was to balance the grandeur of the monarchy with the Queen's humanity: "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 royal visit also marked the official reopening of the National Gallery's Sainsbury Wing following a two-year renovation ahead of the gallery's 200th anniversary. The reopening included a tour of significant works from the Royal Collection, such as Andrea Mantegna's "The Triumphs of Caesar," Jan van Eyck's "Arnolfini Portrait," and a 14th-century crucifix by Segna di Bonaventura suspended from the ceiling.
