Art initiatives and exhibitions mark King Charles III's coronation

King Charles III's coronation on May 6, 2023, is accompanied by several art-related initiatives. Christie's London hosts a month-long exhibition featuring works commissioned from Royal Drawing School alumni, alongside drawings from the school's collection owned by the king, who founded the institution in 2000. The auction house also participated in The Royally Big Portrait, a charity project by BBC Children in Need, where 11,000 children contributed drawings of Charles's profile based on a design by artist Sam Barnett. The resulting collage was displayed on the Outernet digital art center's screen from May 4–8, while a canvas version was auctioned by Christie's to benefit disadvantaged children. Official portraits include a painting by Alastair Barford, commissioned by Illustrated London News (a tradition since 1842), completed in two weeks from photos and sketches. It shows Charles in a jacket and tie, wearing a bracelet gifted by Amazonian chief Domingo Peas, highlighting climate change advocacy. Frances Segelman created a bronze bust for the coronation. The exhibition 'Highgrove in Harmony: Exploring a Royal Vision' at The Garrison Chapel in London runs until May 29, showcasing the king's garden in Gloucestershire, with archival materials, photos, plans, and previously unseen watercolors and sketches by Charles himself.