King Charles III honoured his late royal parents—Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh—in a new portrait released by Buckingham Palace today.
The portrait of the monarch was shot last week in the Eighteenth Century Room at Buckingham Palace. In the photo, he is captured carrying out official government duties from The King’s Red Box, a red briefcase box that contains papers and dispatches from government ministers and representatives in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms. These documents are sent from the Private Secretary's Office to the King, wherever he may be in residence.
The new portrait also includes a photograph of the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, her husband of 73 years, placed in the background. The photo, captured by Baron Studios, was originally gifted to King George VI by the then-Princess Elizabeth and Philip for Christmas in 1951.
Queen Elizabeth, who passed away at 96 years old on September 8, was laid to rest in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle earlier this week. Philip died in April 2021 at 99 years old. The two are buried next to each other.
During his first speech as monarch of the United Kingdom, King Charles reflected on the life and legacy of his mother, the longest-reigning monarch in British history.
'Queen Elizabeth was a life well lived; a promise with destiny kept and she is mourned most deeply in her passing,' he said. 'That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today. Alongside the personal grief that all my family are feeling, we also share with so many of you in the United Kingdom, in all the countries where The Queen was Head of State, in the Commonwealth and across the world, a deep sense of gratitude for the more than seventy years in which my Mother, as Queen, served the people of so many nations.'
As an associate editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, Chelsey keeps a finger on the pulse on all things celeb news. She also writes on social movements, connecting with activists leading the fight on workers' rights, climate justice, and more. Offline, she’s probably spending too much time on TikTok, rewatching Emma (the 2020 version, of course), or buying yet another corset.
