More than a year after his coronation following the death of the late Queen, the department responsible for all things royal in Canada has finally released an official photographic portrait of King Charles.
The portrait, taken in the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace last month, features Charles wearing some of his Canadian insignia, including the Order of Canada medal bestowed on him in 2017 by then-Governor General David Johnston.
The portrait shows the King wearing a bar of medals from Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
The Department of Canadian Heritage also released a portrait of Queen Camilla, dressed in blue, wearing the maple leaf brooch — a platinum and diamond-encrusted piece of jewlery that was first presented to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 1939 when her husband, King George VI, was on the throne.
The department called the brooch “a cherished symbol, worn by various royal women during Canadian events.”
The portraits were taken by Millie Pilkington. The department described her as an accomplished portraitist who’s taken many photos of the Royal Family over the years.
It’s customary for the federal government to produce a uniquely Canadian portrait of the King that can be displayed in official venues and in the homes and businesses of royal admirers.
Royal portraits in Canada are usually different from those distributed in the U.K. and other Commonwealth countries — they’ve been “Canadianized” to make them more relevant.
Canadian Heritage has again partnered with the Monarchist League of Canada to distribute prints of the portrait to all interested Canadians. The posters are free but shipping fees apply.
In a message to supporters, Robert Finch, the dominion chairman of the Monarchist League, said he hopes “there will be a large uptake of the portrait” and that league members will encourage “individuals, local governments and both adult and youth groups in your community to acquire it for proud and prominent display in club house and school foyer, at Rotary Meetings and faith halls, at Scouting movement assemblies and cadet corps.”
“I thank all members for their support of the League as an association deeply rooted in loyalty to the Crown — rational and also deeply-felt. God Save The King!” Finch said.
Finch had expressed frustration with the long delay in getting an official portrait of Charles in Canada.
He has said there’s “tremendous pent-up demand” for the King’s portrait and that his organization gets dozens of calls and emails every week from people asking when it would be released.
Meanwhile, the Citizens for a Canadian Republic, an anti-monarchical group, has urged the federal government not to spend a lot of money on the portrait or its distribution.
In the U.K., the government has spent millions of pounds to get portraits up in buildings across the country.
Britain’s new monarch King Charles has deep ties to Canada, forging connections with some Canadians through his charitable work and outreach during his many visits to the country.