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.
Queen Camilla made her debut in the new Family Order in 2024, when she wore the piece for a Buckingham Palace state banquet in honour of the Japanese Imperial family
WPA Pool/Getty Images
While the pale blue colour of the silk ribbon was chosen by the King himself in homage to that used by his great-grandfather, George V, the bow itself has a far more modern reference bank. It was designed by Philip Treacy, the milliner and former Tatler contributing editor whose works are beloved by the Queen. Camilla has donned Philip Treacy for numerous state visits and trips to Ascot. Princess Beatrice, Lady Gaga, and Grace Jones count themselves as fans of his designs, which have been featured by the likes of Chanel, Valentino, and Givenchy.
It is the first time that we have seen the Princess of Wales wear King Charles’s order, which she pinned to her scarlet gown by Sarah Burton for Givenchy and paired with the pin of the French National Order of Merit. Princess Anne, the Duchess of Edinburgh, and the Duchess of Gloucester also wore the King’s new order, alongside the Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II. When Her Late Majesty bestowed her portrait to Kate Middleton, she, like Charles, decided against ivory, in keeping with Prince William’s outspoken opposition to the material.