Photo by Hugo Burnard/ Buckingham Palace

It’s been the subject of speculation for months now but King Charles might just have given us a clue as to what he will wear for his Coronation.

His Majesty has a number of options, including traditional breeches and shirt or military uniform. And as he posed for a Coronation portrait alongside Queen Camilla, there was a possible hint as to what The King might choose for the moment he is crowned.

The official image showed Charles III in front of the State Portrait of King George V, the monarch who founded the House of Windsor. In it, George V wears military uniform with his Robe of Estate. The Imperial State Crown sits in the background.

It has been reported that The King might choose to wear uniform for his Coronation rather than the more traditional shirt and breeches. The State Portrait of George V shows him in naval uniform. The decision of King Charles to pose in front of this portrait for his own pre Coronation photos could offer a clue to the attire he has selected for May 6 2023.

However, it isn’t what George V wore to his own Coronation, rather an idealised image created in the year afterwards by the artist, Luke Fildes. George V wore the usual shirt and breeches combination when he was crowned in 1911.

King William IV chose to wear his military uniform for his Coronation in 1831. William had been a proud naval man with a long and celebrated career behind him by the time he took the throne. He also wanted a low key Coronation with nods to modernity and so chose uniform rather than pageantry.

We’ll find out King Charles III’s choice in just a few days – the Coronation is on May 6th 2023.