Two additional portraits from the King and Queen’s coronation day have been made public by Buckingham Palace. One of the images is a striking one of Charles and his two heirs, the Prince of Wales and Prince George.
The striking photograph was taken inside the palace shortly after the ceremony at Westminster Abbey and depicts William, 40, and George, 9, standing on either side of His Majesty, 74, who is seated on a throne chair and wearing full regalia.
Photo: Hugo Burnand
The monarch, wearing the Imperial State Crown and the purple velvet and ermine-capped Robe of Estate, is holding the Sovereign’s Orb and Sceptre with Cross, two pieces of regalia that were used in the historic ceremony earlier that day.
Photo: Hugo Burnand
Prince William, who is standing next to him and wearing the ceremonial dress uniform of the Welsh Guards with the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle sash on top of his robes, beams into the camera. George, who just finished serving as his grandfather’s Page of Honour, beams after a flawless performance in the Abbey.
The image beautifully depicts the new line of succession as the institution enters a new Carolean era following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last September against the rich red and gold backdrop of the Throne Room.
Photo: Hugo Burnand
The King and Queen are depicted in a second new photo alongside Her Majesty’s Ladies in Attendance, including the Marchioness of Lansdowne and her sister Annabel Elliot. Also pictured are George and Camilla’s pages, her grandsons Freddy Parker Bowles and Louis and Gus Lopes, as well as her great-nephew Arthur Elliot.
Photo: Hugo Burnand
The rich purple velvet train of Her Majesty’s Robe of Estate, which was hand embroidered with the British flag, as well as plants and animals, falls on the stairs below as she wears the Queen Mary’s Crown, which was used for her coronation.
Two of the official photographs were taken by renowned royal photographer Hugo Burnand; four of the photographs were made public on Bank Holiday Monday following a weekend of festivities that included a star-studded coronation concert at Windsor Castle.
Photo: Hugo Burnand
Hugo, a Frenchman who is the only portrait photographer to hold a Royal Warrant, was entrusted with taking the official photographs for the weddings of the King and Queen in 2005 and the Prince and Princess of Wales in 2011.
Hugo says to HELLO! that “He considers the image of the King and his heirs to be special.”
Photo: Hugo Burnand
“I felt that it was important to take this picture,” he says. “I did a lot of research in the archives of past coronations, and I didn’t see any previous pictures of the line of succession. While we have seen pictures of the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William and Prince George, never have we seen them in the throne room with all the regalia.
“There’s a lot of formality in that picture. But I think that I’ve managed to show the essence of the individuals at the same time, which to me makes it not just a historical document, but also a portrait.”
The lively atmosphere created by Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, who were also “milling around” in the space, as well as the fact that Hugo kept his jar of jelly beans nearby, is revealed by Hugo.
Photo: Getty Images
There was some noise entertainment, and as usual, he offered people rewards of enormous jars of jellybeans.
Louis retired midway through the service, and the young royals joined their parents in the Abbey to witness the historic moment their grandfather was crowned.
Along with William, Catherine, George, and Charlotte, he rode back to Buckingham Palace in the carriage procession. As usual, he delighted the crowds by enthusiastically waving from the balcony.
Photo: Getty Images
The Waleses assisted at a Scout Hut in Slough as part of the nationwide volunteer effort to mark the coronation, which was also the Prince’s first official engagement this week.
When it came to painting, digging, and decorating, Louis didn’t waste any time.
