New photographs of King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla released before coronation

Royal couple pose in Buckingham Palace's blue drawing room ahead of ceremony next week

King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla at Buckingham Palace in London. Reuters

Three new photographs of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla at Buckingham Palace have been released before the coronation.

The images were taken in the palace’s blue drawing room last month.

One shows the couple standing side by side in front of a portrait of King George V painted shortly after his coronation in June 1911.

King Charles is dressed in a blue Anderson and Sheppard suit, with a blue tie and white Turnbull and Asser shirt.

Queen Consort Camilla is wearing a blue wool crepe coat dress from British designer Fiona Clare, the late Queen Elizabeth II’s pearl drop earrings set, which is adorned with sapphire and ruby gemstones, and a pearl necklace from her private collection.

The other two photographs show King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla seated individually.

A portrait of King Charles III taken by Hugo Burnand in the Blue Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace. Reuters

The king is sitting in a giltwood and silk-upholstered armchair which dates to 1829 and was supplied to King George IV to furnish Windsor Castle.

And Queen Consort Camilla is sitting in a giltwood and silk, long-seated upholstered armchair dating back to 1812.

The chair was likely commissioned by King George IV when he was the Prince of Wales in the early 19th century.

Hugo Burnard, who also took the couple’s wedding pictures in 2005, took the photographs.

A photograph taken of the king for his matriculation at the University of Cambridge has been released for the first time.

Queen Consort Camilla is pictured wearing a blue wool crepe coat dress designed by Fiona Clare. Reuters

Trinity College, Cambridge, where King Charles studied for three years, shared the picture of the 18-year-old student taken in October 1967 before the coronation next week.

The postage-stamp sized portrait shows King Charles in the college’s 17th century Wren Library, with a note reading “Wales HRH, The Prince of”.

It has been preserved in Trinity College’s archives since it was taken 56 years ago.

Meanwhile, it was revealed that the new screen will provide “absolute privacy” during the most sacred part of next week's coronation service for King Charles.

The three-sided screen will shield the king when he is anointed with holy oil, consecrated in Jerusalem, on his hands, breast and head, shortly before he is crowned at London's Westminster Abbey on May 6.

Buckingham Palace said it was historically regarded “as a moment between the sovereign and God”, with the screen there to protect its sanctity.

The anointing screen which will be used in the coronation. Reuters

“Previously, it was a canopy over the top, which actually didn't provide real privacy, it was more figurative,” said Nick Gutfreund, who designed and created the frame.

“Now this three-sided screen provides absolute privacy.”

There had been speculation King Charles might allow people to see the anointing, but royal historian Kate Williams said that would have been a surprise.

“It is such a private, sacred moment,” she told Reuters. “It's a mystic moment.”