New King Charles portrait leaves fans baffled as Queen Camilla's branded 'stunning'
The king and queen unveiled their new portraits on a visit to the National Gallery
To mark the second anniversary of their coronation, King Charles and Queen Camilla unveiled their newly commissioned state portraits at the National Gallery in London on Tuesday.
King Charles’ coronation took place on May 6 in 2023 – months after he became monarch following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II.
During the ceremony, Camilla was also crowned as queen.
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Where is the new portrait of King Charles?
The portraits of King Charles and Queen Camilla are now on display in the Central Hall at the National Gallery, where they will remain until June 5.
In June, the paintings will be transferred to the Throne Room in Buckingham Palace for permanent display.
But while the unveiling ceremony was met with applause from onlookers and apparent approval from Their Majesties, the contrasting artistic styles of the two portraits have sparked confusion and debate among royal fans.
King Charles and Queen Camilla unveil new portraits
The king’s portrait was painted by Peter Kuhfeld. It depicts Charles in his naval uniform and the Robe of State, with his medals, and the Imperial State Crown placed beside him.
It has a classical oil painting texture, leaning toward a stylised composition rather than photorealism.
In contrast, Queen Camilla’s portrait, by renowned artist Paul S. Benney, shows her seated gracefully in her Robe of Estate coronation gown. Meanwhile, her crown (formally known as Queen Mary’s Crown) was placed beside her in the painting.
It is painted in a hyper-realistic style that some fans described as “almost photographic”.
The two portraits were unveiled simultaneously by the king and queen themselves, who pulled down the covers and stepped back to admire the works. According to the artists, both monarchs reacted positively.
“I suppose he thinks it’s okay,” Peter said with a chuckle, according to the BBC. “You never ask a sitter what they think of their own picture because I’m not sure that they know.”
Meanwhile, Queen Camilla could be heard saying to Paul about her portrait: “I think it’s really lovely.”
Even Camilla’s daughter, Laura Lopes, attended the unveiling and praised the portrait.
“And you know when the kids like it, you’re probably on the right track,” Paul quipped.
What fans think of Charles and Camilla’s portraits
Despite the positive reception from the royal couple, fans had a different reaction when the portraits were posted to the royal family’s official Instagram page.
While both paintings were praised individually, many fans were baffled by the stark contrast in style when the two portraits were seen side by side.
“I think the queen won this one. Her portrait is stunning!” one follower wrote.
“Beautiful paintings. In my opinion, the queen’s painting almost looks like a photograph and speaks to me more than the king’s portrait,” another agreed.
“The queen’s one is lovely,” a third fan gushed. “The king’s one… not so much, hmm.”
Some fans speculated whether the use of two artists with wildly different techniques was the right call, especially since the portraits are displayed together.
I am a bit puzzled as to why the two different styles?
“They are both beautiful. But I am a bit puzzled as to why the two different styles? Especially when they are hanging next to each other,” one follower questioned.
Responding to the comment, another agreed: “I think that was a mistake. The paintings should match.”
“Whoever painted the queen is a considerably better artist than who painted the king. Camilla’s looks like a photograph,” a third fan criticised the King’s portrait.
“I wonder why they didn’t do them in the same style,” another agreed that the differing styles were a distraction. “Hers is very nice, and his looks like a caricature.”
Read more: ‘Unwritten rules’ the royal family follow for the Buckingham Palace balcony
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