Canadian portrait of King Charles III is the first of its kind in over 70 years

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A Canadian doctor and painter has completed the first official portrait of King Charles III wearing the formal Robe of Estate.

The painting, by Toronto-based physician and artist Suan-Seh Foo, is the first to depict a reigning British monarch wearing those garments since Sir Herbert James Gunn’s portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, which hangs in Windsor Castle in England. It is also the first official portrait of Charles III to include the Orb and Sceptre alongside the Crown Imperial.

The painting was commissioned in 2024 by Arthur Joseph LeBlanc, the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, on behalf of that province. Approval was received through the offices of the Canadian Secretary to the King, Canada’s senior operational member of the royal household for the monarch. It’s a position held by Donald Booth since 2019.

The portrait will be exhibited at the Stern Pissarro Gallery in London, England, from Oct. 19 through Oct. 31. It will later move to a permanent display at Government House in Halifax.

“We were just delighted to be given such a great piece of portraiture for a government house,” Christopher McCreery, Private Secretary to the current Lieutenant Governor, Mike Savage, told National Post. “So we were quite happy that it would be shown in London to highlight the connection that Canada and Nova Scotia has with the King and with the U.K.”

The oil-on-canvas portrait measures approximately eight and a half feet by six and a half feet and features a carved gold frame dating to the 18th century.

Charles III is shown wearing the uniform of the Royal Regiment of Canada, whose garrison is at Fort York Armoury in Toronto, and of which the King is Colonel-in-chief. Visible in the background is the top of the Halifax Town Clock, built in 1803 on the orders of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, father of Queen Victoria and great-great-great-great-grandfather of the King.

Edward, who served as military commander of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and later as commander-in-chief of British forces in the Maritime Provinces of North America, lived in Halifax between 1794 and 1800.

Of the Town Clock in the painting, McCreery said: “Anyone who knows Halifax, the first thing they say is that’s Halifax. The clock tower is so associated with the city, and also with the Royal Family. So there’s these fun little royal connections that are woven throughout the city, and obviously Dr. Foo has woven them into the portrait as well.”

The portrait also depicts the throne of William IV, currently housed in the Throne Room at St James’s Palace. On the left of the portrait is a rudder bearing the insignia of the Royal Canadian Navy. A bouquet of Mayflowers, the official flower of Nova Scotia, can also be seen on the left of the image near the King’s hand.

Foo held a formal consultation with Ede & Ravenscroft robe makers, who provided samples of velvet, lace and gimp from coronation robes, as well as the elaborate cords and tassels used in the King’s robes. He was also briefed on the technicalities of dressing a monarch for such a ceremony. Captain Nicholas A. Lishchynsky, a member of the Royal Regiment of Canada based at the Fort York Armoury, posed in full uniform to help Foo ensure the details were accurate.

Born in Singapore, Foo is a member of the Worshipful Company of Woolmen, a London livery guild dating back to the 12th century, and a Freeman of the City of London. He has previously completed two portraits of Pope Benedict XVI for the Vatican and a 2011 portrait of Queen Elizabeth II that hangs in Rhodes House in Oxford. In addition to his artistic pursuits, he directs a not-for-profit clinic in Toronto treating addiction and mental health.

The Robe of Estate is different from the Robe of State in that the latter is worn by the monarch on arrival at Westminster Abbey for the coronation ceremony, and the former is worn during departure. The Robe of State is crimson or red velvet, while the Robe of Estate is purple silk velvet.

Foo told National Post that his first emotion on completing the painting was “relief.”

“We want to show that we are loyal,” he said of the London showing. “There are Canadians, myself included, who believe in the Crown and believe that this unites the country. We also want to tell the British that this is important, that we matter.”

McCreery said the hope is to have the portrait installed at Government House, the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor, before Christmas, “so that it will be on display for the New Year’s Levy, which is one of the big events that we hold.” He’s expecting upwards of 700 people to attend.

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