Buckingham Palace released a new portrait of King Charles III in military dress on Saturday to commemorate Britain’s Armed Forces Day. “His Majesty is Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Services. The photograph features His Majesty wearing his Field Marshal No1 Full Ceremonial Frock Coat with medals, sword and decorations,” the palace said in a social media post, sharing the photo of the king. The portrait was taken by royal photographer Hugo Burnand at Windsor Castle in November 2023. Burnand was also the official photographer for Charles’ coronation in May 2023, and for his wedding to Camilla in 2005.
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Queen Camilla also released a video message on Saturday, calling service members a “source of inspiration, reassurance and pride.” LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS “Thank you all for everything you do to protect this country of ours,” the queen said in her two-minute message. Mentioning their visit to Normandy last month to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Camilla said, “Eight decades later, I know that the same spirit and those same qualities remain much in evidence throughout our armed forces.”
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She also thanked military families who “keep the home fires burning,” adding that as a “proud daughter of an army officer, I know something of the impact military life has on your loved ones. You, too, are heroes.” She concluded by saying service members are a “source of inspiration, reassurance and pride, and I salute you all.” Although battling cancer along with daughter-in-law Kate Middleton, the king returned to his public duties last month and was most recently seen at Trooping the Colour, the monarch’s official birthday celebration, and he hosted Japanese Emperor Hiruhito and his wife this week for a state visit.
Military service is a tradition in the royal family and Charles served in the Royal Air Force and Navy while he was Prince of Wales in the 1970s. Charles’ first official portrait, a painting, was released by the palace last month, dividing fans with its avant-garde look. The portrait was also vandalized by animal rights activists earlier this month while it hung in London’s Philip Mould Gallery. The gallery said the painting is protected by a sheet of plastic and wasn’t damaged.
