King Charles III carrying out official government duties from his red box in the Eighteenth Century Room at Buckingham Palace, London
Victoria Jones/PA Media
In the days since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, her son and heir, King Charles III, has been adjusting to his new role as monarch while grieving the loss of his late mother. As the period of Royal Mourning continues, Buckingham Palace has released a new official photograph of the King, unveiled on the evening of Friday 23 September.
Taken by PA Images, an announcement from Royal Communications reveals: ‘The image was taken in the Eighteenth Century Room at Buckingham Palace last week and shows His Majesty The King carrying out official government duties from The King’s Red Box.
‘The Red Box contains papers from government ministers in the United Kingdom and the Realms and from representatives from the Commonwealth and beyond. The documents are sent from the Private Secretary’s Office to The King, wherever he may be in residence, in a locked red despatch box.
‘The photograph in the background of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh was given by the then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip to King George VI for Christmas in 1951. The photographer was Baron Studios.’
The photo marks the dawn of a new era as the next Carolean age begins, but also nods respectfully to the past in a gesture of reverence and continuity. As well as including the picture of the late Queen, the new image recalls her own tradition of posing with her red despatch boxes. When the monarch reached the 70th anniversary of her accession on 6 February 2022, marking the start of her Platinum Jubilee year, a photo was released showing her smiling beside the famous box at Sandringham House.
