Are they as polarizing as the first official portrait of the king? Scroll down and judge for yourself!
Coronation Portraits of King Charles and Queen Camilla Were Just Unveiled—Here Are 9 Things to Know
Published on May 08, 2025
Charming, flattering or completely awful? While beauty of a portrait is always in the eye of the beholder, let’s be honest—when you’re a well-known public figure, people are going to have major opinions about everything from your red-carpet pics to your Christmas cards to, of course, those official portraits. Today’s flashpoint? The brand-new coronation paintings of King Charles and Queen Camilla, which were unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
These official paintings come exactly two years after King Charles’s coronation on May 6, 2023 … and just about a year after Jonathan Yeo’s controversial and very red portrait of Charles sparked opinions around the globe, since many people thought it looked like the monarch was burning in the fires of eternal damnation.
So how do these new official coronation portraits compare to that one, and what do the royals themselves think of them? Read on to find out about everything from the public reaction to these paintings to the hidden meanings and symbolism in them.
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1. Charles and Camilla didn’t get a sneak peek
You’d think being king and queen would earn you the right to see your portraits before everyone else did, but nope! According to media reports, Charles and Camilla saw the paintings for the first time when they unveiled them to the world at the National Gallery. Now, imagine just for a second what had happened if they hadn’t liked them! That being said, knowing the royal etiquette rules inside and out, Charles and Camilla would have still put on a polite smile.
2. They’re both depicted in their coronation outfits
Charles is seen in his Robe of State, which he wore for the first part of the coronation service at Westminster Abbey, along with a naval uniform featuring several medals. Camilla, on the other hand, is painted in her ivory coronation dress with gold trim, the dress she wore when leaving Westminster Abbey on coronation day. (Scroll down to read more about a very special feature on Camilla’s gown that royal fans were delighted to see again in the painting.)
3. Charles has known his portraitist for more than 40 years
King Charles’s new portrait was painted by Peter Kuhfeld, a British artist who has been one of the royals’ go-to painters for more than four decades. Kuhfeld had painted Prince Harry and Prince William when they were little and has accompanied Charles on many foreign state visits as his official tour artist. “I’ve spent quite a long time with him over the years, so I’m used to being with him,” he said about his relationship with the king.
Talking about his latest commission, Kuhfeld revealed he wanted to show both “the man and the king.” So what did Charles think about the result? The king praised the “wonderful composition” when unveiling the painting. Any other details, however, remain his royal secret. “I suppose he thinks it’s OK,” Kuhfeld said. “You never ask a sitter what they think of their own picture because I’m not sure that they know.”
Kuhfeld had five sittings with Charles over the course of a year and a half. Two took place in the State Apartments of St. James’s Palace (the Throne Room can be seen in the painting), while the other three were at Windsor Castle.
4. Camilla’s daughter loves the queen’s portrait
Camilla chose London-born artist Paul Benney to create her portrait—and her daughter Laura Lopes, a gallerist, apparently thought he was the right man for the job. “She (Camilla) 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,” Benney said after his painting was shown to the world. Lopes was also present at the ceremony and could be seen beaming with pride. She was overheard calling her mother’s painting “incredible” and “very flattering.”
Benney, just like Kuhfeld, isn’t a stranger to the royal household. He painted the late Queen Elizabeth II together with her horse Estimate in 2015. According to the artist, Camilla commissioned him for the portrait “well before” the couple’s coronation in 2023. “It was wildly unexpected and a huge honor,” he said, adding that he was “honored and humbled by the king and queen’s belief in my ability to do justice to this once-in-a-lifetime commission.”
Benney had six formal sittings with the queen in the Garden Room at Clarence House, the king’s and queen’s main royal residence, and met Camilla many times in between. “The sittings were extremely pleasurable on my part,” he stated. “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.”
5. The painter had separate sittings just with the crown
Charles’s portrait features his Imperial State Crown, one of the royals’ most valuable crown jewels, sitting on a table to the monarch’s left. And while he always brought it with him when meeting up with the artist, Peter Kuhfeld insisted on having two separate sittings just with the crown. “I needed it on its own,” he explained. “It’s a very singular that aspect of the painting, because you never get to see the crown in natural light. You only ever see it in artificial light, in the Tower.”
We can only imagine the extra security measures in place when Kuhfeld was fully focusing on the crown. After all, the precious piece with nearly 3,000 stones (2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and five rubies), is estimated to be worth 3 to 5 billion pounds ($4 billion to $6 billion in U.S. dollars—yes, billion).
6. Camilla’s beloved dogs make an appearance in the painting
Look closely! No, there aren’t barking pups peeking out from behind her, but her coronation gown does feature a sweet tribute to her beloved rescue dogs, Bluebell and Beth. The two Jack Russell terriers were embroidered in gold-hued thread at the base of her silk dress. And now the royal pups are on the queen’s official portrait!
Camilla, just like Queen Elizabeth II, is a well-known dog lover. She was heartbroken when Beth had to be put down in November 2024 following an untreatable tumor diagnosis. In February 2025, Camilla adopted a new rescue dog, Moley, while Charles got his own four-legged companion, a Lagotto Romagnolo puppy named Snuff, around the same time.
7. Royal fans are (again) divided about the portraits
Just like King Charles’s polarizing first official portrait, the new paintings have quickly sparked both praise and criticism among royal watchers. To clarify, Camilla’s portrait has escaped controversy, hailed as “beautiful,” “stunning,” “fabulous” and “almost like a photograph” on social media. As for Charles’s painting? Let’s just say it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Some royal fans called it “disappointing,” which was among the nicer comments.
“Queen Camila’s is 10 times better than the King’s one,” one user said on X, while another wrote, “I think the king should have gone with the same artist as the queen.” Some of the harshest critics said it looked the painting was “done by a toddler,” and one alluded to the past controversy, saying “they did him dirty again.”
Of course, Charles’s portrait also has its dedicated fans. One wrote: “The king is as handsome as ever and the queen is stunning.”
8. An expert spotted a “sad hidden meaning”
British art historian Bendor Grosvenor took to X to point out a possible “sad hidden meaning” in the new portraits. Explaining his theory, he wrote, “The King turns away from us, looks into the distance, and begins to fall into shadow. The crown is in the light, dazzlingly so. The picture is more monarchy than monarch. Is there a melancholy air, given the King’s health? The Queen on the other hand is painted with photo-realist sharpness (and, forgive me, perhaps a touch of photoshop too). She’s firmly in the limelight, the crown behind in shadow. Is any of this deliberate? Do the pictures have any meaning at all? Art history will find out!”
King Charles was diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer in February 2024 and is still in treatment more than a year later. The monarch has described his cancer journey as “daunting and at times frightening,” but also said it had brought into “sharp focus the very best of humanity.”
9. The portraits will be hung at Buckingham Palace—and you can see them in person!
Unlike the first King Charles portrait, which is tucked away in Drapers’ Hall in East London, a private venue, the new portraits are on (semi) public display. The paintings can currently be seen in the Central Room at the National Gallery in London until June 5, 2025. Afterward, they’ll move to their permanent home in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace. The Throne Room is part of the State Rooms that you can visit in the summer when the royals flock to their vacation homes. Tickets must be prebooked, but visits are possible despite the ongoing renovations at Buckingham Palace.
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Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of stories on the British royal family, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the fascinating facets of the monarchy. We regularly cover topics including the latest royal news, the history and meaning behind time-honored traditions, and the everyday quirks of everyone’s favorite family members, from Queen Elizabeth’s daily snack to Prince William’s confessions about his home life. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece, Astrid Hofer tapped her experience as a London-based journalist with more than 20 years of experience covering topics including the British royal family. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Royal.uk: “New coronation state portraits unveiled”
- BBC: “King and queen reveal coronation portraits”
- Paul Benney: “Official coronation state portrait news”
- Evoke: “‘I think the queen won this one’ Royal fans divided over new portraits”
- Express: “Fans issue their verdict on new royal portraits—one is ‘disappointing'”
- Reuters: “Coronation portrait of UK’s King Charles unveiled”
- Tatler: “The Imperial State Crown at the State Opening of Parliament: everything you need to know”
- X: “Bendor Grosvenor”
- The Independent: “King Charles’s health timeline: From cancer diagnosis to message of thanks”
