This is the first portrait of Carlos III as king: in suit and with a bracelet of the indigenous peoples

The portrait of Carlos III made by the painter Alastair Barford for 'Illustrated London News', in March 2023.

He only had two weeks to complete what has become the first portrait of Charles III as King of England, so it is only natural that the painter Alastair Barford has described the experience as "a great challenge".

The painting shows King Charles in a relaxed position, wearing a navy blue pinstripe suit, a pale pink tie, a matching handkerchief and a white shirt.

On her left wrist she wears a bracelet, the same one that the leader for the indigenous peoples and nationalities of Ecuador, Domingo Peas, gave her last February during an event in favor of biodiversity to symbolize her fight against climate change and her defense of sustainability, which is also evident in the painting.

It was precisely during that reception at Buckingham Palace that Barford had the opportunity to study the king for the portrait: "I wanted to capture his warmth and sensitivity, the empathy that manifested in his interactions with the people he met," the artist has revealed. “It was important that it capture a sympathetic expression.”

The work is commissioned by the prestigious magazine

, which was the first illustrated magazine in the country, which is launching a special issue on the occasion of the coronation of Carlos III, which will be held on May 6 at Westminster Abbey. .

More information

'Queer' stories in the palace: from Pablo de Grecia, grandfather of Felipe VI, to the infant Luis Fernando, cousin of Alfonso XIII

The choice of Alastair Barford to paint his first portrait does not seem accidental, since the artist from Dorset, in the south of England, was commissioned to produce one of the last portraits of the late Elizabeth II for the same publication.

Specifically, that portrait of her commemorated her 63 years and 216 days of her reign, which made her the longest-reigning monarch in the history of the United Kingdom.

At the time, Barford was only 28 years old: “Everything was incredible.

I got an email on a Monday asking if I could paint the Queen the next day, and a week later I was at a ceremony in Windsor."

He did not have much more time then to study the queen than he has now to study the king: "I was there for two hours, watching her from a distance,

"I did some sketches, got what I could and asked them to take some photos, it was not the best way to work."

Portrait of Elizabeth II painted by the artist Alastair Barford.

According to what Barford said on that occasion, in general, the preparation for his portraits takes an estimated time of 40 hours, during which those portrayed pose for him, although with monarchs, he already knows that this is not possible.

In the case of Elizabeth II, the orders were clear: "The order was quite precise, in the portrait she had to be dressed in the uniform of the Order of the Garter, for that reason

I had those 10 minutes with her at Windsor Castle on the day of the Order parade.

She intimidated me;

although she was natural ... the nervous one of her was me ”.

Barford studied Fine Art at the public university in Falmouth, a town on the south coast of Cornwall.

Upon graduating, in 2011, she had to combine her vocation with cleaning jobs.

In 2012, she received a scholarship from the Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships (QECS) Foundation, which allowed her to specialize in the art of portraiture in the Italian city of Florence, in the prestigious studio of the American painter and art historian Charles H. Cecil.

Three years later, she portrayed the woman who had facilitated those studies.

To this day she has already painted two kings.