Two years ago, King Charles was crowned at Westminster Abbey. And today, he had a busy schedule full of royal duties.
On the evening of May 6, the King attended the premiere of Ocean with David Attenborough, the latest nature documentary hosted by the beloved English biologist, at the Royal Festival Hall in London. The monarch, 76, dressed up in a black bow tie and suit to hit the blue carpet, taking the place of the traditional red carpet to keep with the theme.
Other famous attendees at the premiere included Felicity Jones, Geri Halliwell-Horner, Cara Delevingne and more.
The film, which is set to debut in cinemas before airing on NatGeo and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu, focuses on sharing “the story of how we can, and must, restore the glory of Earth’s vast, interconnected waters,” according to a press release. King Charles is a longtime champion of sustainability, including protecting nature and the oceans. On February 19, 1970, he marked the “growing menace” of oil and plastic pollution in the sea during a speech at the “Countryside In 1970″ conference.”
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Earlier in the day, King Charles held private audiences at Buckingham Palace with Governor-General of Canada Mary Simon as well as Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa and First Lady Angela Lavinia Valbonesi Acosta.
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Queen Camilla didn’t join her husband for the film premiere, but she was busy with royal duties of her own. The Queen, 77, took part in the royals’ ongoing recognition of the 80th anniversary of VE Day, joining 5-year-old Harrison Machin to install the final poppies in an installation at the Tower of London marking the end of World War II.
The Queen’s flower represented all those who served in the global conflict, while Harrison’s represented the hope for future generations.
The royal couple were together earlier in the day, as they celebrated the second anniversary of their coronation by unveiling new royal portraits at the Central Hall of the National Gallery in London, each featuring significant details about their ascension to the throne.
The King’s painting, by artist Peter Kuhfeld, features the monarch depicted in the Throne Room of St. James’s Palace, wearing his naval uniform and Robe of State, which he donned while entering Westminster Abbey for the 2023 coronation service.
Kuhfeld has known the King for decades and painted Prince William and Prince Harry when they were young boys.
“I was delighted and honored to be commissioned by [the King] to paint his official Coronation State Portrait,” Kuhfeld said in a statement. “I have tried to produce a painting that is both human and regal, continuing the tradition of royal portraiture. His Majesty gave of his time with his usual graciousness and attention to detail, and we discussed certain aspects of the painting.”
The Queen’s portrait was painted by Paul S. Benney and depicts her in ivory silk Bruce Oldfield coronation dress, which features silver and gold embroidered floral designs. The painting also includes Camilla’s Robe of Estate as well as her coronation crown, formally known as Queen Mary’s Crown.
Benney painted the Queen in the Garden Room of Clarence House, the King and Queen’s official London residence.
“It is with some regret that the sittings for this important commission have come to end,” the artist said in a statement. “After nearly a year of being installed in a temporary studio at Clarence House, I have deep and abiding memories of many hours of fascinating and sometimes hilarious conversation with Her Majesty on countless varied subjects.”
Benney explained, “My guiding principles in this commission were to both acknowledge the grand and historic nature of the coronation iconography with all the equipage of the monarchy and at the same time reveal the humanity and empathy of such an extraordinary person taking on an extraordinary role.”
