The image of King Charles in the traditional dress of the Highlands has taken a new symbolism after a portrait of the monarch was revealed in the Scottish Parliament this week.
The portrait, captured by the photographer Millie Pilkington in the engulfed garden of the Château de Balmoral Last, shows the king carrying King Charles III Tartan and holding an artisanal stick offered by the Mey Highland Games.
The painting was unveiled by Princess Anne, who smiles while moving away the cover.
The image is suspended next to a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, which Anne also revealed in 2011.
Royal supporters have congratulated Charles’ embrace of the Scottish tradition, noting his long history of portage of kilts to official commitments.
But the disclosure has again drawn attention to William, the Prince of Wales, who despite several Scottish titles has always chosen conventional costumes on Highland Dress.
The kilt, seen by many as a powerful symbol of the Scottish heritage and the royal connection with the Highlands, now takes an additional weight to the resemblance of the immortalized king.
If his heir will never follow up on the step remains an open question.
