A new portrait of King Charles III. (74), taken by famed photographer Rankin, 57, was released by Buckingham Palace ahead of the monarch’s 75th birthday on November 14. It was photographed last month in the garden of Clarence House, the royal couple’s main residence. The occasion at the time: the presentation of his “Coronation Food Project”, with which he wants to help both people and the planet. The photo was commissioned by the homeless newspaper The Big Issue.
“His Majesty King Charles III shares his birthday wish for ‘our people and our planet’ exclusively in next week’s ‘Big Issue’,” the palace advertises on the magazine’s Instagram page. It continues: “Support your local dealer and buy a copy from Monday.” According to British media, the king “wants” an end to food waste and food poverty.
Accordingly, His Majesty writes in the booklet: “Food demand is as real and urgent a problem as food waste – and if a way could be found to bridge the gap between the two, it would solve two problems in one.” It continued: “I sincerely hope that the Coronation Food Project will find practical ways to do just that – rescue more surplus food and distribute it to those who need it most.”
Paul McNamee, editor of The Big Issue, said: “The cover story comes at an important time as sellers face a tough winter ahead. This will hopefully boost their sales and is the reason we exist in the first place. “
Both the king and his son, the Prince of Wales, 41, have previously worked with Big Issue, which supports homeless people, with William working as a street vendor last year.
It’s not just an honor for the street magazine, photographer John Rankin Wadell also feels the same way. Speaking about his commission, he said it was “an absolute honor” to photograph the king for the special edition, adding that he was “a huge supporter” of the project. He also said of the man in front of his lens: “I’ve always thought he was a very resilient person. I think that’s what I picked up from him, that kind of steely determination.”
Another special feature of the cover photo is the fact that Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022), also had herself photographed by Rankin. In 2002, he was one of ten photographers who were allowed to create new portraits of the monarch on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee. The famous photo that shows the Queen in front of the throne in the ballroom of Buckingham Palace comes from this shoot. It was photographed from a low and close angle and then digitally overlaid with a Union Jack flag. “I had the opportunity to document the most famous face in the world,” said the photographer, according to the Royal Collection Trust. “I just hope I did justice to the person behind the face.”
