Queen Camilla admired the work of local artists as she stepped out in west London on Wednesday – including a “lovely” painting of her step-granddaughter, Princess Charlotte.
Her Majesty, 76, toured Kindred Studios’ Shepherds Bush pop-up after a recommendation from her daughter Laura Lopes.
Camilla disclosed to one artist: “It was Laura who told me about this, she said it was so fantastic – ‘You’ve got to have a look’.”
As the Queen viewed marvelled at the installations, including taxidermy mice, intricate embroidered textiles, she also stopped to look at the small artwork of Princess Charlotte.
Artist Mercedes Carbonell painted it from an official photograph taken by the Princess of Wales in 2017 to mark her daughter’s second birthday.
The Spanish-born painter said: “The Queen liked it very much. I think Charlotte looks like Queen Elizabeth in the photograph which urged me to make a painting.
“During Covid I took my piece to the national gallery in Paris – the Grand Palais – and had my own exhibit outside. It was great and I had such a great reception. I am very proud of this piece.”
Camilla later remarked that the painting was “lovely”.
The Queen’s latest royal outing also had a connection to her equerry, Major Ollie Plunket, who serves in The Rifles.
As she arrived at the studios, she was greeted by Cordelia Plunket – Major Plunket’s mother – who has a number of works on display at the collective.
Cordelia, an award winning film producer who has worked with global artists including David Bowie Adele, The Prodigy, Rage Against the Machine and Queens of the Stone Age, hugged the Queen before showing her exhibits, including a “spaghetti western” scene involving taxidermy mice and puppet dogs representing the famous Beatles Abbey Road album cover.
She said: “A lot of the pieces are very intricate and I’ve learned an awful lot from the other artists who have been working here, it’s an incredibly vibrant and cohesive community.”
The Queen’s engagement came after the King returned to Sandringham after spending 24 hours at Clarence House in London.
It is thought Charles visited the capital for his latest bout of cancer treatment following the announcement of his diagnosis last week.
The Queen is expected to remain in London because she is hosting a reception to mark the 100th anniversary of the Poppy Factory on Thursday.
