King Charles III's First Portrait As Monarch Highlights His 'Empathy' With A 'Sympathetic Expression'

Mar 29, 2023

Queen Elizabeth II’s passing marked the end of an era for a well-regarded monarch, and she will forever be remembered for her service. For many people from the UK, she was the only reigning monarch they had ever known in their lifetime, having sat on the throne for 70 years. Back in February 2022, prior to her passing, the queen celebrated 70 incredible years as Queen of the United Kingdom and 15 Commonwealth realms. 

The sudden loss of such a longstanding monarch was evident in the media surrounding her funeral, which drew millions of mourners, with thousands lining up at Westminster Hall to catch a final glimpse of the monarch and pay their respects one last time. The resulting and now-infamous queue will surely go down in history as a testament to how beloved Elizabeth II was.

Meanwhile, her eldest son ascended the throne and is officially King Charles III. As the new head of state since his mother’s passing on Sept. 8, 2022, Charles gave his mother the most touching tribute a loving mother and queen could ever receive. It had also shown the kind of relationship he shared with her when she was still alive — one that he undoubtedly treasured. 

Although Charles has stepped up to the throne, he hasn't yet had his coronation, which is set to take place on May 6, 2023. However, the king's first portrait as the monarch has been unveiled. Painted by Alastair Barford — who also painted a portrait of the late queen back in 2015 — the oil painting depicts Charles in a suit and highlights his "warmth and empathy."

Upon the portrait's unveiling, Barford revealed a little about the work, revealing it was commissioned by Illustrated Coronation Edition magazine and is the cover image of their new issue, published on March 30, 2023. 

"Shown in suit rather than the robes of state. I hope this is a portrait of the man behind the role and conveys something of the warmth and empathy which I witnessed when I was observating him at the palace," the artist wrote.

The oil painting features King Charles III in a blue suit with a white shirt and pink tie and pocket square. Standing strong, he has one hand in his suit pocket and is notably wearing a bracelet that was gifted to him by the indigenous Amazon leader Domingo Peas, serving as a subtle nod to the king's climate activism.

Although the stunning oil painting is not an official portrait, it is the first commissioned artwork of the monarch since he took the throne in September 2022. Charles didn't sit for the oil painting, rather, Barford studied photographs and sketches he'd made of the king while at a reception at Buckingham Palace in February.

The artist spoke of the "huge challenge" of creating the work in a mere two weeks: 

“The limited time frame, just two weeks, was a huge challenge. Working on a single portrait all day every day is intense and I felt guilty when I wasn’t working on the painting, but I realised that the time we spend away from our paintings is also a valuable part of the process."

Barford added, "the tight time frame also presented technical challenges," as working "on an oil painting every day is like picking at a wound. The painting needs time to dry, just as the wound needs time to heal.”

The artist said he wished to capture the king's "sensitivity" and "the empathy which came across in his interactions with the people he met. It was important that I captured a sympathetic expression.” With a soft color palette and emotive features, there's no doubt Barford has managed to achieve that. He said, "It was a terrifying honour" to work on the portrait, and elaborated:

"It’s a great responsibility to create a portrait of someone who means so much to so many people. If you are painting someone you know, you bring to the portrait certain preconceptions. While I don’t know The King, he has been an enduring presence in all our lives. So reconciling this ‘Idea of The King” with the reference material I had gathered was a challenge.”

At just 36 years of age, Barford's talent is impressive, to say the least. He studied Fine Art at University College Falmouth and graduated in 2011, before going on to receive several awards and bursaries. He was a recipient of QEST (Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust) funding, which allowed him to further study portrait drawing and painting at artist Charles H. Cecil's renowned atelier in Florence, Italy.

The painting is not even Barford's first foray into royal portraiture — he was commissioned in June 2015 by the same publication to paint Queen Elizabeth II in honor of when she became Britain's longest-reigning monarch.

It has not been revealed where the original painting of King Charles III will hang. Meanwhile, other works of Barford's are housed in both public and private collections.

What do you think of the first portrait of King Charles III as monarch? Do you think Alastair Barford portrayed the king's "warmth and empathy"? Let us know, then pass this on to other royal fans so they can see it too!