A royal photographer has revealed what the British public can expect to see as the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla unfolds on Saturday 6 May.
Tim Rooke, who has photographed the royal family for Shutterstock for the past 30 years, tells The Independent that he believes the coronation will have “all the pomp and significance you’d expect of a royal event” despite being significantly smaller than the 1953 coronation of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
He also shares a few of his favourite photographs of Charles and Elizabeth from his career.
Rooke, who has been in his line of work since 1991, has had some rare insights into the unique personalities of the royal family over the years.
He thinks there will “definitely” be symbolic nods to the late Queen throughout the ceremony that will “pay tribute to her legacy”. Her Majesty reigned over the UK for 70 years, celebrating her platinum jubilee last summer before her death in September.
“The coronation invitations that have already been sent also feature touching tributes to the late monarch, including her favourite flowers and fruits,” he noted, referring to the roses and wild strawberries that appear on the official invitations.
The coronation invitations were designed by artist Andrew Jamieson. They also feature shamrock, thistle, daffodils, and a sprig of rosemary for remembrance.
As for how Charles and Camilla will behave on the day of their crowning, Rooke expects them to “be themselves”, nodding to their many years of being a couple and their frequent public appearances together as having prepared them for this moment.
“Although the occasion is important for them, they’ve been together and even married for a long time, so they have plenty of experience touring and making public appearances together,” he says.
The photographer notes that, at the late Queen’s coronation, no crowned monarchs were in attendance, only those from British protectorates and those at the same level as the then Prince and Princess of Wales.
“In contrast, it appears that all reigning monarchs have been invited to King Charles’s coronation, for what is set to be one big celebration,” he says.
Foreign royals who have confirmed their attendance at the coronation include Prince Albert II of Monaco and his wife, Princess Charlene; King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain; King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden; and King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands.
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark will not be present due to recent back surgery, but she will be represented by her son and daughter-in-law, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary. The King and Queen of Norway are also sending representatives in the form of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, while Emperor Naruhito of Japan will send his brother, Crown Prince Fumuhito.
Rooke also shared his ideal spots for capturing iconic moments during the coronation. He says that, having never experienced a coronation before, it is “hard to prepare” for momentous events such as this one, particularly as he does not know his allocated position yet.
“If I had the opportunity to choose, I’d love to have the spot right in front of the [Buckingham Palace] balcony for that historic shot of them waving,” he says.
“Alternatively, there’s a spot called the Crimea Statue where you have the best view opposite Westminster Abbey. The photographers who are here will be the first to capture the King and Queen in all their Regalia outside the Abbey – another truly iconic moment.”
He describes Charles as “really great to photograph” because of the monarch’s “natural ease” in front of the camera.
Charles is “often smiling and laughing, which makes for a really good image”, Rooke says, adding: “It can be challenging to get people looking natural in an image, but Charles is fantastic at looking natural and unposed.”
Rooke says that his favourite photographs of Charles include one of him looking serious and another, much more light-hearted shot of him with the members of the Spice Girls, “just after Geri Halliwell kissed him on the cheek”.
In the image, Charles is seen beaming after Halliwell plants a red lipstick mark on the side of his face, surrounded by Melanie C (Sporty Spice), Halliwell (Ginger Spice), Emma Bunton (Baby Spice), Melanie B (Scary Spice), and Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice).
Meanwhile, his other favourite photograph of the royal family is one of the late Queen peeking out from behind a curtain inside Buckingham Palace.
“This image really shows the natural side of the royal family, making it stand out from other shots which can often feel posed,” he explains.
“I love to capture the everyday moments and the stunning, iconic ones to showcase the full range of the royal family’s personality.”
