The King chose to have miniaturist Elizabeth Meek paint his portrait on polymin, a synthetic material, instead of the traditional ivory
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The King chose to have miniaturist Elizabeth Meek paint his portrait on polymin, a synthetic material, instead of the traditional ivory. In the 18 months since Charles’ accession to the throne, many royal watchers assumed that the King would forgo ivory for his Family Order: he is, after all, an avid environmentalist, and the international ivory trade has been banned for over three decades. Meek, who previously painted Charles at Highgrove in 2005 during his time as Prince of Wales, was praised by the now-King for her ‘determination to retain the tradition of this art form, which has been historically significant since the reign of Henry VIII,’ per The Times.
As for the rest of King Charles’ new Family Order – designed and constructed by Crown Jeweller Mark Appleby – it is widely in keeping with tradition, with some touching references to his family and his own charitable work. According to MailOnline, Elizabeth Meek based her painting on a 2023 portrait of the King by Hugo Burnand. King Charles wears the uniform of the Admiral of the Fleet, adorned with the Garter Star and Collar, the Thistle Star, and the Royal Victoria Order. The portrait is surrounded by 10.41 carat diamonds, mounted on a white and yellow gold frame, and hung from a gold and enamel Tudor Crown. Fiona Rae, the jeweller who decorated the crown, was the beneficiary of a loan from Charles’ Prince’s Trust in 1990.