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The Prince of Wales offers royals fans a look inside the The Morning Room at Clarence House in a photo released to mark his meeting with the UAE Crown Prince today.
Prince Charles, 72, who donned a navy suit and light blue tie, put safety first as he posed for a socially distanced photograph with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
But a closer look at the image – combined with more detailed views offered by Google Arts & Culture’s virtual tour – reveals how the room is filled with royal treasures, from the Sortie de l’Eglise, Jamaique 1961 painting by Sir Noël Coward, to a bust of the young Queen.
However, there appear to be a few changes from when we last saw the room in October when Rebecca Beattie, 32, of York, was recognised with a Pride of Britain award presented by Prince Charles – including the addition of the official wedding photograph released by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, taken in The Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle.
Prince Charles, 72, met the UAE Crown Prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Clarence House in London today (pictured) 1. Mid-eighteenth century giltwood pedestal with lights 2. A bust of the young Queen 3. Chelsea botanical porcelain collection 4. Charles and Camilla snuggle in a picture of them taking by a friend when they were relaxing on their summer break in Scotland – later was photo published on their 2015 Christmas card 5. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wedding snap 6. Prince Charles and Camilla’s 2018 Christmas card photo 7. A 1945 study for the Portrait of Queen Elizabeth as Royal Bencher of the Middle Temple by Sir James Gunn. 8. An eighteenth-century porcelain mantelpiece clock 9. Sortie de l’Eglise, Jamaique, a 1961 painting by Sir Noël Coward
The Morning Room was once known as the Breakfast Room in John Nash’s original design for the Duke of Clarence in 1825, with Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall moving in a year after the Queen Mother’s death in 2002.
It has seen some very special moments, such as the Christening photographs for Prince George and Prince Louis. And the the new photograph released today shows two hanging pictures remain in the same position.
The Sortie de l’Eglise, Jamaique 1961 painting by Sir Noël Coward can be seen to the left of the UAE Crown Prince’s shoulder, while a 1945 study for the Portrait of Queen Elizabeth as Royal Bencher of the Middle Temple by Sir James Gunn hides behind Prince Charles’ head.
Two cabinets either side of the fireplace house a vast collection of Chelsea botanical porcelaint, including a mantelpiece clock that once belonged to Queen Charlotte.
The official wedding photo released by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appeared to be a new addition to The Morning Room in Clarence House. Pictured, Rebecca Beattie (left) and Laura Whitmore (right) in The Morning Room on 27 October 2020
A 1945 study for the Portrait of Queen Elizabeth as Royal Bencher of the Middle Temple by Sir James Gunn has remained in the same position
Clarence House is attached to St. James’s Palace and shares the palace’s garden. For nearly 50 years, from 1953 to 2002, it was home to the Queen Mother, and is still largely decorated to her taste with a few modern touches.
But Prince Charles and Camilla have also added a personal touch, with a framed photograph taken of the couple during their summer break in Scotland.
It was snapped on a private estate by a friend and was never intended to be released publicly. But the couple loved it so much that they decided to feature it in their personal Christmas cards in 2015 – a contrast to the more formal images traditionally favoured by members of the Royal Family.
And the couple’s 2018 Christmas card also took pride of place, which showed the couple pictured on a bench in their Clarence House garden gazing at each other.
Elsewhere, there are mid-eighteenth century giltwood pedestal with lights on either side of the mantelpiece, but the porcelain cockerel that once belonged to Queen Mary and was on display in October, appears to have been removed.
A closer look at Sortie de l’Eglise, Jamaique, a 1961 painting by Sir Noël Coward, left, and the 1945 study for the Portrait of Queen Elizabeth as Royal Bencher of the Middle Temple by Sir James Gunn
Between 1949 and 1952, The Morning Room was used as The Duke of Edinburgh’s study.
The elaborate ceiling plasterwork shows Queen Elizabeth’s crown, and the large south-facing window looks out onto the garden.
The house was the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh’s home when they were first married and Prince Charles was brought up in the stately home by his parents until the age of three.
It served as the official residence for Prince William from 2003 until his 2011 marriage and for Prince Harry from 2003 until 2012, and is now the much-loved London home of Charles and Camilla.
A closer look at the eighteenth-century porcelain mantelpiece clock and the bust of King George VI, left, and the porcelain cockerel that once belonged to Queen Mary, which appears to have been removed
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall’s 2018 card showed the couple pictured on a bench in their Clarence House garden gazing at each other
When the couple moved in 15 years ago, Charles’s Royal Standard was raised above the 19th-century building where his beloved grandmother lived for nearly 50 years.
A major renovation project by Charles’ interior designer Robert Kime cost £4.5 million at the time, and was paid for by taxpayers from grant-in-aid set aside for palace maintenance.
Charles reportedly used £1.6 million of his own money for extras, and also paid for the decoration of two rooms to be used by his ‘companion’ and now wife, formerly known as Camilla Parker Bowles.
Clarence House displays much of the Queen Mother’s famous art collection, including 20th-century paintings by John Piper, Graham Sutherland, WS Sickert and Augustus John.
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