King and Queen's official Coronation portraits revealed
The King and Queen have unveiled their new Coronation state portraits in the National Gallery.
The King's portrait has been created by Peter Kuhfeld, and the Queen's by Paul S Benney. They depict the monarch and his consort in their Robes of State, alongside their crowns.
Both have been seen by the public for the first time at the National Gallery, at an event marking its 200th anniversary. It is believed that it is also the first time that the King and Queen have seen the completed portraits.
Queen Camilla said of her portrait: 'I just love it', while the King praised the 'wonderful composition' of his.
The King, a keen patron of the arts and architecture who nevertheless once famously described an extension of the gallery as a 'monstrous carbuncle', also unveiled a plaque to mark the completion of a two-year building project and the re-opening of the Sainsbury Wing.
The King and Queen both attended the event, at which John Booth, chairman of the National, delivered a short speech of welcome before inviting Their Majesties to unveil their new portraits.
They were greeted inside the Sainsbury Wing by a fanfare from the State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry Band, echoing the welcome that Queen Elizabeth II received when she opened the original Sainsbury Wing in 1991.
Sir Gabriele Finaldi, director, and John Booth, chairman, will later introduce the King and Queen to architect Annabelle Selldorf, and some of the project, building and design team.
They will view the new Roden Centre for Creative Learning and the new restaurant by Giorgio and Plaxy Locatelli.
They will also be given a short tour of the gallery to see some of the works of art on loan from the Royal Collection in the redisplay, C C Land: The Wonder of Art, that opens on May 10.
It includes Andrea Mantegna's painting series called The Triumphs of Caesar.
Peter Kuhfeld, who painted the King, was granted five sittings over a year-and-a-half, and said he wanted to paint him as 'both human and regal'.
The crown, he said, had its 'own sittings', with the King keen to discuss 'certain aspects' of the work.
Paul Benney, who painted the Queen, said he had hoped to capture 'humanity and empathy', having 'hours of fascinating and sometimes hilarious conversation' with her as he worked.
Kuhfeld was first commissioned by the King to paint Prince William and Prince Harry when they were aged five and three, and has since travelled overseas with His Majesty as an official tour artist.
'I have tried to produce a painting that is both human and regal, continuing the tradition of royal portraiture,' he said.
'His Majesty gave of his time with his usual graciousness and attention to detail, and we discussed certain aspects of the painting.
'He gave me five sittings in total, not including the painting of the Imperial State Crown. The State Crown had its own sittings!'
The commission was kept a secret, only briefly shared with the artist's granddaughter when she accidentally spotted the painting in his studio.
'I usually start with drawings to develop my ideas and then move on to several oil studies to work out problems of composition,' said Kuhfeld.
'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!''
Benney said it had been an 'honour, privilege and total pleasure' to undertake the first official portrait of her since the Coronation.
'It is with some regret that the sittings for this important commission have come to an end,' he added.
'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 sometimes 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.
'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.'
After being on display at the National Gallery, of which the King is royal patron, the paintings will move to a permanent home in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace, where they can be seen by tourists during the annual Summer Opening.
The tradition of state portraits dates back to the Coronation of James VI in 1620.
Following royal custom, the portrait of the King includes the Imperial State Crown, placed on a table to one side. He is wearing his Robe of State and naval uniform 'Number 1 Ceremonial Day Dress' with medals and decorations.
The Queen's portrait includes Queen Camilla's Crown, formerly known as Queen Mary's Crown. She wears her Coronation Dress, which was designed by Bruce Oldfield.
The new portraits were unveiled shortly after a new collection of artworks commemorating the Coronation.
Commissioned by the King, other paintings and monochrome images show the Gold State Coach procession, heralds waiting to take part in events and the King and Queen during the Westminster Abbey coronation.
The King followed a long-held tradition and commissioned five artists to capture significant events from the coronation weekend, with four of the creatives being former students from his Royal Drawing School.
The Coronation was held on May 6 2023, and the King saw the finished pieces, now part of the Royal Collection, last September during a presentation at his Clarence House home.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
43 minutes ago
- The Sun
Closed UK waterpark to FINALLY reopen after shutting 17 months ago
A POPULAR waterpark that was forced to close in 2023 has revealed plans to finally reopen this year - with some new areas for guests. The SC2 waterpark in Rhyl, Wales, shut back in December 2023 after devastating storms. 3 3 Now, the waterpark has confirmed they will be reopening next month on Friday, July 5. It will also have new additions, including a adventure play structure inside the Rainforest Diner. The diner will have an updated menu, too. Visitors can also enjoy a selection of gelato ice creams at the attraction. Online bookings for the indoor waterpark are set restart today. Jamie Groves, managing director at Denbighshire Leisure Ltd, said: "Everyone at DLL is extremely excited to see our flagship attraction reopening. The damage to the roof was extensive, but we were never going to let that get us down. "SC2 is the jewel in Rhyl's crown and our priority was to re-open the attraction as soon as we possibly could. "We know how important SC2 is to Rhyl, and we were determined to come back bigger and better than before. "As one of the Denbighshire's biggest employers, we are proud to have recently taken on another 30 people at SC2, and will be reopening with an exciting team, who can't wait to give everyone the very best customer experiences. "This year, we want to give visitors and residents a summer of fun and happy memories at SC2, and we can't wait to see you all in July, with exclusive discounts for locals as a thank you for their support while we were closed!" Huge AquaCity waterpark in Poprad People have praised the update, with one saying: "Fantastic news!" The waterpark first welcomed visitors back in April 2019 and features slides such as the Boomerang, Anaconda and Speedster. Costing £15million to build, for little ones, there is also the Piranha Play area. In total, DLL runs eight leisure centres. Here is also the first look at huge new £200million indoor waterpark opening in the UK with an aquadrome and adventure zone. Plus, the massive European waterpark with 14 themed lands opens new outdoor pool and 150-seat swim up bar. 3
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Love Island All Star flogs her wardrobe on Vinted – with items priced from a tenner
A LOVE Island pocket rocket has got fans in a fashion frenzy after shifting her old wardrobe on Vinted. The bombshell has put some of her pre-worn clothes on the selling site - with items going for a very affordable price. 9 9 9 9 Reality star and influencer Kady McDermott has thrilled followers by putting her clobber up for grabs for as little as a tenner on the second hand platform. She told followers on social media: "Shop my Vinted," along with an array of pictures of dresses, trousers, tops, sportswear, heels, trainers, shoes, occasionwear and ski gear. The former Towie star's for sale collection includes pink MyProtein size 6 leggings for £10 and a size 8 Distressed Denim Mini Dress from H:ours for £55. Amongst other penny-pinching steals, there's a size 8 Metallic Drape Bandeau Mini Dress for £190 from Retrofête and a size 8 Pretty Little Thing Distressed Faux Leather Biker Racer Jacket for £12. There's an XS Six Stories White Trouser Suit going for £60 and a Lavish Alice Rose Pink Dress, which has never been worn and has its original tags, size 6 for £50. The star is giving half the profit from threads sold towards a charity close to her heart, Brain Tumour Research. Kady wrote on the charity website: "Nan was the rock of our family… by the time they confirmed it was a brain tumour, there was nothing anyone could do…" She continued: "She was the best nan ever. My dad wasn't around when I was growing up so it was like I had two mums. "Nan lived close by and used to pick me up from school and make cakes for me and my brother Keenan and sister Kirsty. I remember her feeding us until we could hardly move! She was the perfect cook. "Growing up, I was really close to her and would probably tell Nan more about what was going on in my life than Mum. She was always on my side." Kady McDermott SPLITS from millionaire boyfriend & makes brutal 'you can't change bad morals' swipe She admitted: "Apart from a bit of a family history of migraines, which I suffer from too, everyone is pretty fit and healthy in my family. To be honest, I never thought serious illness could happen to us." Kady's official account splits 50% of the profit donated to The Brain Tumour Research Charity - and is run by her management team. It reads: "No refunds. Always posted within time frame. Happy shopping." This comes after Kady has confirmed she is back together with her millionaire ex boyfriend. The brunette beauty is back together with her on/off boyfriend millionaire Henry Simmons. Kady, 29, previously told fans she had caught Henry Simmons, 25, cheating with 'two women she found leaving his house'. The reality star, who first hinted in December that they were back together, has been spotted with Henry enjoying a luxury holiday in the Maldives. Kady - who originally appeared in the second series of Love Island - made waves in the recent All Stars by having an almighty falling out with fellow contestant Mitch Taylor. The Love Island's season 10 contestants went head to head with Mitch accusing Kady of having a secret boyfriend on the outside. 9 9 9 9 9
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Brian Cox documentary maker dies in Alps accident
A leading British documentary maker has died in a mountaineering accident in the French Alps. Michael Lachmann, 54, slipped and fell while climbing down the Grands Couloirs glacier in the Vanoise National Park on Sunday morning. The father of two, the son of Sir Peter Lachmann, the Cambridge immunologist, was in the region to visit a property his family had owned for many years. Known as one of Britain's leading factual directors and producers, Mr Lachmann helped turn Prof Brian Cox into a household name following their work together on the BBC's Wonders series of programmes about nature and space. Prof Helen Lachmann, his sister, described him as 'the most lovely, funny, talented, witty, clever man and film-maker'. She added: 'He knew everything about everything, and made it sound fresh and funny. He adored his two boys, they were the centre of his whole life. He was much loved, and he will be much missed.' Award-winning career Mr Lachmann's career as a filmmaker spanned two decades, during which he was nominated for an Emmy and three Baftas, winning one. As well as Wonders, he made programmes about the Celts, Albert Einstein, Sir Stephen Hawking and cosmonauts. He was known for pioneering the use of CGI to portray space and prehistoric Earth, as well as filming underwater and in extreme environments. Mr Lachmann's agent said he had most recently been a showrunner for the series Spacetime Capsule, which offered 'unprecedented access to Chinese science and technology' and was released last year. In recent years he also directed a 90-minute film starring Prof Cox about Mars for BBC Two, along with an Emmy-nominated documentary about Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking. Mr Lachmann became a BBC producer and director after completing science degrees at Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge. He also worked with BBC presenters Marcus du Sautoy and the late Michael Mosley.
