Latest news with #PeterKuhfeld
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Royal fans are all saying the same thing about King Charles and Queen Camilla's Coronation portraits as they spot unusual detail
The King and Queen unveiled their official Coronation state portraits at the National Gallery on Tuesday to mark the second anniversary of the historic event. However, the artwork has since caused a stir online after The Royal Family 's X account shared snaps of the paintings. Royal fans were quick to brand Peter Kuhfeld's portrait of King Charles 'blurry' and 'out of focus', while others suggested Queen Camilla's picture by Paul S. Benney was 'much better' than His Majesty's painting. One person wrote on X: 'Charles's portrait looks like a Wallace and Gromit character - you can imagine it hanging in Wallace's house. Camilla's portrait is lovely.' Another said: 'His face is very blurry. Camilla's portrait was giving more presence and depth than Charles's.' 'I think Camilla's is much better,' someone else insisted, while a fourth individual wrote: 'The Queen's is perfect. The King's too blurry.' 'Looks blurry. Out of focus,' a fifth agreed. A sixth person said: 'Compared to the level of detail in previous ones, King Charles' portrait looks... cheap. Lighting and composition are good, though. Another wrote: 'Comparing the portraits of King and Queen, I think she's come out of it much better than he has. 'There's something a little underwhelming about his portrait, as if he's shrinking into the background. There's a bit more forthright glamour about hers!' 'I think the King should have gone with the same artist as the Queen,' insisted another person online, while someone else said: 'I don't think I like the one of the King. 'It's a bit blurry and he blends into the background too much. But that's the thing with art, it appeals to some, not others.' But while the portraits didn't impress everyone on social media, Their Majesties fortunately appreciated the artwork, with Camilla, 77, saying 'I just love it' while the King praised the 'wonderful composition' of Mr Kuhfeld's effort. It comes after Jonathan Yeo's fiery portrait of the King - commissioned in 2020 to celebrate the then-Prince of Wales's 50 years as a member of The Drapers' Company, and released in May 2024 - proved to be divisive. Whilst some people praised the painting as 'magnificent', the modern approach left others, well, perhaps seeing red thanks to its scarlet hue. It depicts the King wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards, of which he was made Regimental Colonel in 1975. Meanwhile, Their Majesties were met with great fanfare as they had their official Coronation state portraits unveiled at the National Gallery on Tuesday to mark the second anniversary of the crowning of the King at Westminster Abbey on May 6 2023. In the paintings themselves, Camilla cuts an elegant figure as she wears her Coronation dress by Bruce Oldfield, draped with her robe of state, alongside ' Queen Camilla 's crown' - formerly known as Queen Mary 's Crown. Reaction: Royal fans were quick to brand Peter Kuhfeld's portrait of King Charles 'blurry' and 'out of focus', while others suggested Queen Camilla's picture by Paul S. Benney was 'much better' than His Majesty's painting Charles, who is royal patron of the National Gallery, is depicted in uniform with the Imperial State Crown and his robe of state. Mr Kuhfeld said he wanted to paint the King as 'both human and regal' while Mr Benney, who painted the Queen, said he hoped to capture her 'humanity and empathy'. Now part of The Royal Collection, the portraits were revealed in the Central Hall, followed by the reopening of the refurbished Sainsbury Wing. The Queen could be heard telling Mr Benny: 'I think it's really lovely'. Mr Kuhfeld, who took more than 18 months to complete the painting after five sittings with the King, said: 'I think he was pleased. 'It's a very odd thing for a sitter to look at themselves, I just hope that I've got an aspect of the man and King, I just think that's very important.' The artist was commissioned by the King to paint his sons when young boys and has also worked as Charles' official overseas tour artist on a number of trips. He added: 'He's a wonderfully interesting person in his own right, as a person, not King or Prince of Wales, just a very interesting person. And that was one of the things I was really keen in trying to bring out in the painting.' Mr Kuhfeld said that during preparatory work for the painting, a period when his studio is closed to family and friends, '...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!"' Raven Coetzer, aged nine, was invited to the unveiling and after meeting the King said about her grandfather the artist: 'I think it's really good, he did put his heart and soul into it.' Mr Benny set up a studio in Clarence House's garden sitting room for almost a year and the Queen sat for him six times when she had moments free: 'I was able to go in and out and every couple of weeks I was in there.' The artist added: 'Extremely pleasurable on my part, I think Her Majesty the Queen enjoyed them. 'I like to talk when I'm painting - I've managed to develop that skill over the years, I'm able to do two things at once - so we had lots of talks and chats and stories. 'Every time I'd leave, I'd be holding my tummy because I'd been laughing so much - the Queen's very witty.' He added: '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.' Before leaving, Charles and Camilla toured the space and met participants in the gallery's outreach education programme. The King opted for a fun castle-themed patterned tie and a smart navy pinstriped suit for the outing The artwork will be exhibited in the hall for the next six weeks, before being installed in Buckingham Palace's Throne Room as part of the Royal Collection, where they will be on display for the palace's annual summer opening. They will form part of a long tradition of coronation portraits dating back centuries, with the earliest known example being a painting of James VI and I by Paul van Somer which hangs at Windsor Castle. After unveiling the paintings in the central hall and posing for pictures with the artists, Charles and Camilla spoke with Kuhfeld and Benney, who were personally chosen by the King and Queen, being previously known to them from former royal commissions. 'Hello Paul, lovely to see you,' said Camilla, before beckoning over her daughter, Laura Lopes, who joined the King and Queen for the visit. Camilla recalled how Laura, a gallerist, had seen the early stages of the portrait during her sittings with the artist at Clarence House. 'It's so incredible,' Laura said, 'it's very flattering.' Hitting her daughter playfully on the arm, Camilla joked: 'Don't say it's very flattering! I just love it.' Before leaving the gallery, Camilla was presented with a posy by eight-year-old Maria Finaldi, the niece of the gallery's director. 'Thank you, they're my favourite flowers, and that's a very good curtsey,' Camilla told her. And before making their way into the State Bentley, Charles and Camilla quickly greeted a group of well-wishers and school pupils who had gathered outside the gallery's back entrance.
CNN
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Coronation portrait of UK's King Charles unveiled
London Reuters — The official coronation portrait of Britain's King Charles was made public on Tuesday, two years after he was crowned, in a tradition dating back more than 400 years to a time when such a painting often became the defining image of a monarch. The portrait of Charles, in his Robe of State standing beside the Imperial State Crown, and one of his wife, Queen Camilla, will go on display in London's National Gallery for a month before being moved to Buckingham Palace, their permanent home, Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Tuesday. The King's portrait was created by English figurative painter Peter 76, who was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer early last year some 10 months after his coronation, has been sitting for the portrait while he undergoes treatment. The king and queen commissioned the paintings shortly after the coronation ceremony at London's Westminster Abbey, choosing different artists. Charles was painted by Peter Kuhfeld, while Camilla selected Paul Benney, Buckingham Palace said. 'I have tried to produce a painting that is both human and regal, continuing the tradition of royal portraiture,' Kuhfeld said in a statement of the image of the king whose backdrop is the Throne Room in St James's Palace. Queen Camilla was captured by Paul Benney. Camilla is the second consecutive monarch to have been painted by Benney, after the late Queen Elizabeth II. Paul Benney Camilla is seen wearing her Coronation Dress of ivory colored silk, next to a different crown. Benney said he wanted to acknowledge the historic nature of the coronation while also showing 'the humanity and empathy of such an extraordinary person taking on an extraordinary role.' Historically, the paintings were used as a show of power. The earliest example in the royal collection is the state portrait of James I of England, James VI of Scotland, from 1620.
BBC News
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
King and Queen unveil Coronation portraits at National Gallery
King and Queen unveil Coronation portraits 8 minutes ago Share Save Daniela Relph Senior royal correspondent, reporting from the National Gallery Share Save PA Media Artists Peter Kuhfeld (left) and Paul S. Benney (right) pose with the King and Queen in front of the portraits King Charles and Queen Camilla have unveiled their new state portraits at the National Gallery on the second anniversary of their Coronation day. The paintings will be displayed in the gallery's Central Hall before moving to Buckingham Palace in June. The portrait of the King shows him wearing the Robe of State alongside his naval uniform with medals, and the Queen is portrayed wearing her coronation dress. There was applause at the gallery on Tuesday as the couple pulled down coverings to reveal both portraits, before stepping back to admire the paintings. The King was painted by Peter Kuhfeld, who has known him for more than 40 years, while the Queen was painted by Paul S. Benney. The robe worn by the King is the one used during the first part of the coronation service. In keeping with tradition, alongside him is the Imperial State Crown. Alongside the Queen in her portrait is her crown and the Robe of Estate she wore as she left Westminster Abbey on coronation day. PA Media The King's portrait PA Media The Queen looks on at her portrait The King sat for Mr Kuhfeld at St James's Palace five times over a year and a half. There were also two separate sittings with just the crown. "I've spent quite a long time with him over the years so I'm used to being with him, " the artist said. "As a person he's very interesting, he is very understanding of what a painter needs to do the job." Mr Benney had six official sittings with the Queen in the Garden Room at Clarence House. He was also allowed to set up a studio there allowing him to meet the Queen informally many times. "The sittings were extremely pleasurable on my part," he said. "I like to talk when I'm painting… and so we had a lot of chat and stories which we told each other. "At times I would be holding my tummy from laughing so much. The Queen is very witty." What do the royals think of the portraits?
Sky News
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
The King and Queen unveil new portraits commemorating their coronation
New portraits of the King and Queen, commissioned to commemorate their coronation in 2023, have been unveiled. The two separate full-length paintings of Charles and Camilla were made by artists Peter Kuhfeld and Paul Benny, respectively. The artists were personally chosen by the King and Queen, who were joined at the unveiling by Camilla's daughter Laura Lopes. Mr Kuhfeld, who has known the monarch for more than 40 years, added he hopes his depiction of Charles captured both "the man and the King". Mr Benny also said about the Queen: "She said nothing but wonderful things about it, more importantly Laura liked it - you know when the kids like it, you're probably on the right track." Their portraits will be hung in the National Gallery until 5 June, before moving to their permanent home in Buckingham Palace's Throne Room. On 6 May two years ago, the monarch and his wife were crowned at Westminster Abbey, in a ceremony watched by millions. Charles, 76, was the country's longest-serving heir to the throne, ascending after Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
King and Queen unveil portraits marking coronation
Lifelike and atmospheric portraits of the King and Queen commissioned to mark their coronation have been unveiled by the couple. Charles and Camilla gave the world the first glimpse of the separate full-length state portraits on display at the National Gallery, with artist Peter Kuhfeld saying he hoped his depiction of the monarch captured 'the man and the King'. Paul Benny painted the Queen, who was joined by her daughter Laura Lopes, and he said about Camilla: 'She said nothing but wonderful things about it, more importantly Laura liked it – you know when the kids like it you're probably on the right track.' The King's full-length portrait (His Majesty King Charles III 2025/Royal Collection Enterprises Ltd) The Queen could be heard telling the artist 'I think it's really lovely'. ADVERTISEMENT The monarch and his wife were crowned two years ago on May 6 during a Westminster Abbey ceremony steeped in symbolism and history watched by millions. Charles, 76, was the country's longest serving heir to the throne and the day after Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022, he pledged his whole life in service as the new sovereign saying: 'That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today.' The artists were chosen by the King and Queen with Mr Kuhfeld having known Charles for more than 40 years, and their portraits will be hung in the gallery until June 5 before moving to their permanent home in Buckingham Palace's Throne Room. The paintings are both full-length portraits with the King standing in the throne room at St James's Palace while the Queen is in the garden room of the couple's London home, Clarence House. The Queen's portrait (His Majesty King Charles III 2025/Royal Collection Enterprises/PA) The coronation state portraits follow convention and include some of the regal artefacts from the ceremony, including the Imperial State Crown, worn by Charles on his return to Buckingham Palace after his crowning. ADVERTISEMENT Charles is painted wearing the robe of state, worn when he entered the Abbey and during the first part of the coronation service, and underneath is his naval uniform – number 1 ceremonial day dress – with medals and decorations. 'I think he was pleased. It's a very odd thing for a sitter to look at themselves, I just hope that I've got an aspect of the man and King, I just think that's very important,' said Mr Kuhfeld who took more than 18 months to complete the painting after five sittings with the King. The artist was commissioned by the King to paint his sons when young boys and has also worked as Charles' official overseas tour artist on a number of trips. He added: 'He's a wonderfully interesting person in his own right, as a person, not King or Prince of Wales, just a very interesting person. And that was one of the things I was really keen in trying to bring out in the painting.' The King and Queen during their visit to the National Gallery in London (Chris Jackson/PA) Mr Kuhfeld said that during preparatory work for the painting, a period when his studio is closed to family and friends, '…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!'' ADVERTISEMENT Raven Coetzer, aged nine, was invited to the unveiling and after meeting the King said about her grandfather the artist: 'I think it's really good, he did put his heart and soul into it.' Mr Benny set up a studio in Clarence House's garden sitting room for almost a year and the Queen sat for him six times when she had moments free: 'I was able to go in and out and every couple of weeks I was in there.' The artist added: 'Extremely pleasurable on my part, I think Her Majesty the Queen enjoyed them. I like to talk when I'm painting – I've managed to develop that skill over the years, I'm able to do two things at once – so we had lots of talks and chats and stories. 'Every time I'd leave, I'd be holding my tummy because I'd been laughing so much – the Queen's very witty.' The King and Queen were given a tour of the gallery before their portraits were unveiled (Eddie Mulholland/Daily Telegraph/PA) He added: '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.' ADVERTISEMENT Before the unveiling Charles and Camilla were given a tour of some of the highlights in the gallery, including a number of its extensive collection of Renaissance paintings. The King and Queen also re-opened the newly refurbished Sainsbury Wing of the gallery which has seen its entrance area opened up to provide more light and space for visitors. In 1984, when he was the Prince of Wales, Charles famously criticised a previous design proposal for the wing as a 'monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved and elegant friend'.
