ANNOUNCING AN AUTUMN TRIP TO AUSTRALIA AND SAMOA THE KING AND QUEEN

RELEASE A NEW PORTRAIT AS THEY PREPARE TO HEAD DOWN UNDER TO CELEBRATE THE COMMONWEALTH

-  EMILY NASH

The King and Queen smile broadly in a new portrait, released ahead of their planned visit to Australia and Samoa later this year.

Their Majesties will be in the Pacific island nation for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in October after a short trip Down Under.

Photographer Millie Pilkington took the relaxed shot in the White Drawing Room of Buckingham Palace, with the King wearing the Sovereign Collar and badge of the Order of Australia. The Queen, in a sapphire dress by Fiona Clare, wears the diamond Wattle Brooch, which was given to Queen Elizabeth II by the government and people of Australia during her 1954 tour of the Commonwealth.

The yellow diamond wattle - Australia's national flower is backed by blue-white diamonds in the form of mimosa leaves and has further diamonds in the form of tea tree blossom.