The royal family has released, through its social channels, the first official photo of King Charles III after the coronation (THE SPECIAL). The king was immortalized by photographer Hugo Burand with the imperial crown on his head and the scepter and the golden globe of England in his hands. Shortly after, two other official shots were released: one is the portrait of Queen consort Camilla and the other shows Charles III together with his wife. “As the coronation weekend draws to a close, my wife and I just wanted to share our sincere and heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped make this occasion so special,” read a message accompanying Charles’s photo. III and Camilla.
The imperial crown
The “Imperial State Crown” that Charles wears in the shots is also called the “work crown” because it is the one that the sovereign actually wears on certain occasions and it is the one he wore to leave Westminster Abbey and cross the streets of London after the ceremony. The term “Imperial State Crown” dates back to the 15th century when English monarchs chose an arched crown design to show that England was not subject to any other earthly power. It is set with 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 269 pearls. Among the most famous stones set are the St Edward’s Sapphire, said to have been worn in a ring by Edward the Confessor, and the Black Prince’s Ruby. The four pearls hanging from the top of the arch are also said to have been worn as earrings or hair ornaments by Elizabeth I. Also set in the crown is the Cullinan II diamond, the second largest stone cut from the large Cullinan diamond, which weighs 317.4 carats.
The scepter with the cross and the golden orb
Other symbols of the monarchy also appear in the official portrait. In his right hand the sovereign holds the sovereign’s scepter with the cross, which represents temporal power and is associated with Good Government: it is a golden rod studded with emeralds, amethysts, rubies, spinels, sapphires and diamonds. In 1910 it was modified because it was set with the Cullinan I, the Star of Africa, a diamond weighing 530.2 carats: the diamond is so large that the scepter had to be strengthened to support its weight. In his left hand Charles holds the “golden globe of England” made of gold and set with emeralds, rubies, sapphires, diamonds and pearls, the globe represents the Christian world, and is divided into three segments, two in the upper hemisphere and a lower one, representing the three continents that were known in medieval times.
Source-tg24.sky.it