LONDON — Queen Camilla commemorated the second anniversary of her coronation on Tuesday with a series of symbolic appearances across London, including the unveiling of official portraits at the National Gallery and a ceremonial visit to the Tower of London.
Accompanied by King Charles III, the Queen began the day at the National Gallery, where the royal couple formally reopened the refurbished Sainsbury Wing. Originally inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991, the wing has since been redesigned as a grand new main entrance for the museum.
The visit also served a dual purpose: marking the anniversary of the King and Queen’s coronation at Westminster Abbey. To honor the occasion, two newly commissioned state portraits were unveiled. King Charles’s portrait was painted by artist Peter Kuhfeld, while Queen Camilla’s was rendered by Paul S. Benney. The paintings, which depict the monarchs in their coronation regalia, will remain on display at the gallery until June 5 before being relocated to their permanent placement in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace.
For the gallery event, Queen Camilla wore a striking red dress by Fiona Clare, paired with diamond and pearl drop earrings, layered necklaces and bracelets, and a distinctive brooch with royal heritage. The jewel, shaped as an ornate cross and set with white and yellow gemstones, was previously owned by the late Queen Elizabeth II. Although Buckingham Palace refers to it as the “Raspberry Pip Brooch,” jewel historians suggest the piece may trace back to the Countess of Strathmore, grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II, who possessed a nearly identical cross-shaped brooch adorned with similar stones.
The Queen first debuted the brooch publicly on Christmas Day 2023 and wore it again at a church service earlier this year. On Tuesday, its radiant yellow stones stood out vividly against her red ensemble.
Following the gallery ceremony, Queen Camilla proceeded to the Tower of London to participate in a commemorative installation marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. She took part in the symbolic “planting” of one of 30,000 ceramic poppies that make up the exhibit. Many of the poppies were part of the 2014 World War I memorial at the Tower and have been loaned back by the Imperial War Museum for this occasion.
For the solemn visit, the Queen maintained her red dress and jewelry from earlier in the day but added a black cape jacket along with a poppy-themed scarf and gloves, reinforcing the day’s tribute to wartime remembrance.
