Buckingham Palace Unveils New Portraits of King Charles & Queen Camilla—and I Was Really Surprised by Them

Another year, another royal portrait—and this time, King Charles and Queen Camilla are bringing full regal energy. Last year’s official portrait was a historic one, marking the first time King Charles was captured in an official capacity post-coronation. In it, he wore a traditional Welsh Guards uniform, set against a bold, blazing red background. It had a modern, almost abstract flair. But this year’s portraits? A completely different vibe.

Unveiled on May 6 at the National Gallery’s Central Hall, the new paintings were commissioned to commemorate Their Majesties’ 2023 coronation. Buckingham Palace even posted a video of the royal couple pulling back dramatic black tarps to reveal the portraits for the first time—cue the applause.

King Charles is depicted in full coronation regalia, with the crown perched beside him on a table, while Queen Camilla appears in her coronation dress, her own crown similarly placed to the side.

The portraits are undeniably stunning—but what really caught me off guard was how real they looked (particularly Camilla's). Unlike last year’s more stylized artwork, these feel almost like high-definition photographs in paint form. Every detail, from fabric texture to facial expression, is captured with striking clarity.

In a follow-up post, the Palace shared that King Charles personally chose Peter Kuhfeld to paint his portrait, while Queen Camilla selected Paul S. Benney—both artists the couple have worked with before.