The artwork is one of the first commissioned portraits of King Charles III and was initially revealed in The Illustrated Coronation Edition. Artist Alistair Barford had attended a reception at Buckingham Palace on the 17th February, where His Majesty was presented a bracelet by Domingo Peas, an Amazon indigenous leader. The bracelet was included in the portrait and was intended to give the image context and authenticity and a symbol of The Kings advocacy on climate change and sustainability. The portrait of His Majesty was not Barford’s first commissioned by ILN or of a Royal. In 2015 he was asked to paint The Queen, to commemorate Her Majesty becoming the longest-reigning British monarch. You can find a print of this portrait in this link.
The event began with guests being welcomed with a glass of Bollinger Special Cuvée served en Jeroboam and soon after the room was filled with the music of the London Scottish regimental band, which added to the festive Coronation atmosphere. This was followed by speeches from Champagne Bollinger’s UK director Victoria Carfantan, Burlington Arcade’s Trupti Shah and Lisa Barnard Chief Executive of Illustrated London News, who also posed some questions to Alistair Barford. The champagne was accompanied with exquisite delicacies created by a fellow Royal Warrant Holder, patisserie chef Didier Merveilleux.
To commemorate The Coronation, Champagne Bollinger has collaborated with chef Didier Merveilleux, to create a unique Coronation Afternoon Treat menu, to be served exclusively at The Bollinger Burlington Bar from 27th April to 14th May. The menu, paired with a glass of Bollinger Special Cuvée, will be served on beautiful Thomas Goode & Co tableware, another tertiary Royal Warrant holder, making this an unparalleled dining experience. To honour the excellent work of the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, Champagne Bollinger will donate a portion of proceeds from each afternoon tea sold.
Our guests were also amongst the first to admire the magnificent installations at the Burlington Arcade that had been unveiled earlier that day. The arcade has installed 55 flags and 180 metres of carpet all in honour of His Majesty. The instillation design features the four flowers of the nation: the thistle, Scotland’s national flower; the daffodil, the national flower of Wales; the three-leaf shamrock, regarded as the national symbol of Northern Ireland, and finally, the Tudor Rose, the national flower of England which has merged with the official Burlington Arcade rosette.
Lisa Barnard shared her thoughts on the event: “ILN is delighted to have co-hosted this celebration and unveil the stunning portrait of The King, painted by the talented artist Alastair Barford. We are proud to have featured this beautiful portrait on the cover of The Illustrated Coronation Edition. What better way to honour His Majesty than with a glass of Bollinger in hand on the day the splendid Coronation decorations at Burlington Arcade were unveiled?”
We would like to say a tremendous thanks to Champagne Bollinger and the Burlington Arcade for their fantastic work organising and hosting the event!
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