King Charles hails the outpouring of celebration for his Coronation as 'the greatest possible gift' in heartfelt message released with official portraits unveiling his new slimmed-down monarchy
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By Rebecca English Royal Editor For The Daily Mail and Elly Blake and Oliver Price
Published: 13:00 EDT, 8 May 2023 | Updated: 16:50 EDT, 8 May 2023
King Charles III has hailed the outpouring of celebration for his Coronation as 'the greatest possible gift' as he expressed his 'heartfelt thanks' to the nation for making it 'such a special occasion'.
This came as the first official portraits of the event were released, unveiling the King's new 'slimmed down' monarchy.
The King and Queen pledged to rededicate their lives to service as Charles expressed gratitude for the nation's support throughout the historic celebrations, and as the weekend of festivities draw to a close he issued a written message, saying: 'We thank you, each and every one.'
He said: 'As the Coronation weekend draws to a close, my wife and I just wanted to share our most sincere and heartfelt thanks to all those who have helped to make this such a special occasion.
'We pay particular tribute to the countless people who have given their time and dedication to ensuring that the celebrations in London, Windsor and further afield were as happy, safe and enjoyable as possible.'
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Left to right: The Duke of Kent, the Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Gloucester, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Princess Royal, King Charles III, Queen Camilla, the Prince of Wales, the Princess of Wales, the Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy, the Duke of Edinburgh