Public authorities to be able to apply for portrait of the King

The government has announced that public organisations will be able to apply for a portrait of the King. The portraits will be fully funded by the government as part of a scheme to celebrate the new reign.

Those eligible include councils, courts, schools, police forces and fire and rescue services.

The chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Oliver Dowden MP, said: "We have entered a new reign in our history. Now as we unite in preparing for the splendour of The King’s Coronation, these new portraits will serve as a visible reminder in buildings up and down the country of the nation’s ultimate public servant.

"They will help us turn a page in our history together - and pay a fitting tribute to our new sovereign. I am sure they will take pride of place in public buildings across the land.

Chief secretary to the treasury John Glen said: "This scheme will allow thousands of public institutions across the UK to mark this defining moment in our nation’s history with pride.

"The Coronation of His Majesty the King is an opportunity for the whole country to unite, and these new portraits continue a very British tradition to celebrate this momentous occasion."

However, the £8 million funding has been criticised at a time when public organisations are struggling for money and it has been suggested that local authorities would be able to use the money better elsewhere.

Image: Dan Marsh, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons