VISITING THE COMMUNITY HE HELPED BUILD: THE KING AND QUEEN UNVEIL NEW ARTWORK AS THEY CELEBRATE THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS AT HIS MAJESTY'S MODEL VILLAGE

It is the village he helped design as Prince of Wales, and last week the King paid his first visit to Poundbury since becoming monarch to unveil the latest developments

- LAURA BENJAMIN

With the Queen by his side, His Majesty returned to the Dorset village, on the outskirts of Dorchester, that has been built according to the architectural principles he champions, to unveil two new bronze reliefs of him and his wife.

He also opened the new Duke of Edinburgh Garden, which features a bust of his father by sculptor Frances Segelman, who also made portraits of Elizabeth II and Charles when he was still heir to the throne.

Having admired the original bust in Buckingham Palace, His Majesty asked Frances to re-create it for Poundbury.

“The King loves this one – he thought it was wonderful,” said the sculptor. “He has seen it because there is one of them in the palace. It had been sculpted in the year 2000, but he asked if he could put another one here.

“He loved the shape of it and he loved it in this setting. It gives the impression of freedom – free to look at the beautiful view.”

However, the King wasn’t the only one to have an early preview of the new pieces of artwork. As he prepared to unveil the two new reliefs of him and the Queen, a firm breeze hit the curtains covering them, leading him to joke: “It very nearly unveiled itself.”

INNER PORTRAYAL