King Charles III: Buckingham Palace releases new portrait as King’s reign begins

The Elizabethan era is truly over and King Charles has taken the Queen’s former seat, beginning official duties at Buckingham Palace.

A new portrait of the sovereign taken last week has been released by the palace, encapsulating the start of King Charles III as a constitutional monarch, whereby he will assent to bills passed by Parliament and open and close prorogue, each session of Parliament.

With his late mother Queen Elizabeth II and father the Duke of Edinburgh looking over him in a framed portrait, the King strikes a serious pose in the Eighteenth Century Room at Buckingham Palace.

King Charles III carries out official government duties from his red box in the Eighteenth Century Room at Buckingham Palace, London. Picture: Getty

Last week he began executing official government duties from The King’s Red Box containing documents from government ministers in the United Kingdom and the Realms and from representatives from the Commonwealth sent from the Private Secretary’s Office.

The famous Red Box made by luxury leather goods company Barrow Hepburn & Gale is embossed with the Royal cypher.

The Queen’s personal box carried the words “The Queen.”

The Queen in the first year of her reign in 1953. Picture: AFP

The Queen in the last year of her reign, in 2022. Picture: AFP

The King will have his own cypher, suggesting he will receive a new box to mark the start of his reign.

The photograph in the background of the King’s parents was taken by Baron Studios and given by the then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip to King George VI for Christmas in 1951.

More than 1000 laws were vetted by The Queen in 2021, including whether national traffic rules applied to her private estates Balmoral and Sandringham.

King Charles’ salutes following the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey on September 19, 2022 in London. Picture: Getty

The new king will open parliament in person and deliver the king’s speech. It would also be his duty to appoint any future Prime Ministers, one of the few remaining personal prerogatives of the sovereign.

Charles carried out 560 official engagements in 2008, 499 in 2010, more than 600 in 2011.

During his time as Prince of Wales he executed official duties on behalf of the Queen and officiated at investitures and attended funerals of foreign dignitaries.