King Charles' latest portrait revealed and royal fans spot 50-year-old missing detail
Deciding what to wear when you know pictures are going to be taken is always a tough one, especially when you're under as much scrutiny as the Royal Family.
A new portrait King Charles has been shared, and eagle-eyed fans have spotted one of his signature styles is missing.
The new picture of the King was unveiled by his sister, Princess Anne, at the Scottish Parliament last week.
Charles is seen in the Sunken Garden found at the Highlands estate at Balmoral Castle.
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He is wearing a kilt, made from his own King Charles III tartan, accompanied by a handcrafted walking stick which he received from the Mey Highland Games.
Alison Johnstone, the presiding officer of the Scottish Parliament, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal to the Scottish Parliament, to unveil this portrait of His Majesty The King,”
“The portrait will hang in the Parliament’s Main Hall, greeting the many thousands of visitors who come through our doors every year. It’s a striking image which is a reminder of His Majesty’s love of Scotland and the affectionate connection he has with the country and its people.”
Fans noticed a crucial change about the King's outfit choice, as one of his most recognisable pieces of jewellery is missing.
In the new picture, he is wearing a gold signet ring on his little finger.
One of his most-worn pieces is a signet ring that features the symbol of the Prince of Wales.
The ring is said to have been inherited from his uncle, Prince Edward, the Duke of Windsor, who was also the Prince of Wales until 1936.
This new picture seems to feature a new ring though, with a different coat of arms.
One commenter said that the coat of arms on the new ring is similar to one worn by his father, Prince Philip.
The original Prince Of Wales signet ring favoured by Charles is believed to be more than 175 years old, and he usually wears his wedding ring underneath it on his little finger, instead of the usual wedding finger.
Jewellery historian Helen Dimmick explained: "Since the mid-1970s, King Charles III has been photographed wearing a signet ring on the smallest finger of his left hand."
"For the then Prince of Wales, this was a very personal and symbolic jewel – the precious yellow gold oval bezel is engraved with his heraldic badge of three ostrich feathers emerging from a gold coronet, with the ribbon below bearing the motto ‘Ich Dien’, or 'I serve.'"
She continued: "We understand this very signet ring was a gift for King Charles from his Uncle, Prince Edward the Duke of Windsor, the previous Prince of Wales, dating back to the Pharaohs, historically the signet ring has played an important role to authenticate documents, as the carved out individual crest left a permanent mark in any soft wax or clay."
"Sometimes known as ‘the gentlemen’s ring’, in recent decades women are just as likely to adopt the style. They are however still seen as a symbol of social standing, embodied by the etiquette of presenting a child on their 21st birthday with a signet ring of the family crest when they ‘come of age’ and have authority to use the crest."
Topics: Royal Family, King Charles III, UK News
Jen Thomas