The striking portrait, shared by Buckingham Palace, shows the monarch leaning back against a huge ancient oak tree and dressed in a tweed blazer, tie and corduroy trousers. He is holding a wooden walking stick and looking out into the distance.
It was used to accompany the news that the King has officially become The Ranger of Windsor Great Park, seventy years after his father, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was appointed to the post.
The Ranger of The Great Park offers oversight and guidance to Deputy Ranger and his team in the day-to-day stewardship of one of the country’s oldest landed estates. The role at Windsor can trace its roots back to 1559 when Sir Henry Neville was appointed Ranger in the reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I.
Over the last 460 years, the post of Ranger has been held by the Sovereign and other family members, including The King’s father, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Grandfather, King George VI.
Having spent Sunday leading the nation and the royal family at the annual Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph, King Charles is expected to have a quiet day out of the spotlight.
It is thought he will spend time privately with his beloved wife, Queen Consort Camilla, at their primary residence, Clarence House.
That’s not to say there won’t be family celebrations. Prince William and Princess Kate were quick to share a message for the King on social media, alongside a wonderful photograph showing him laughing.
They wrote: “Wishing a very happy birthday to His Majesty The King!”
It is Charles’s first birthday since he ascended to the throne following the death of his mother, the Queen.
