New Portrait of Duchess of Cornwall Released in Conjunction with Guest Edited Country Life Issue

A new portrait of the Duchess of Cornwall has been made available to the public, coinciding with the release of her guest edited issue of Country Life earlier this week.

The photograph, commissioned by Camilla herself, was taken by Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

The portraits were taken in the gardens of Raymill, Camilla's Wiltshire retreat.

Raymill has long been the Duchess's country home, where she regularly spends weekends with her children and grandchildren.

It is also just a short drive from Highgrove, Charles's Gloucestershire retreat.

The property was purchased after her divorce from her first husband, Andrew Parker Bowles.

The cover image shows a relaxed and smiling Duchess of Cornwall wearing a blue and white floral dress and cardigan, sitting on a bench with a truck filled with polygoniums ready to be planted.

Another photograph, taken by Catherine, appears on the leader page, and shows an informal shot of the Duchess of Cornwall walking through forget-me-nots at Raymill.

In the photo, Camilla can be seen in a blue and white floral daisy dress, paired with a baby blue cardigan.

However, it wasn't Camilla's style that was the most striking thing about the photo.

The Duchess stood surrounded by forget-me-nots, which have become known as Princess Diana's favourite flowers.

Therefore, it seems to be an unusual choice of flowers for Camilla to have in her official birthday shots.

Forget-me-nots have become a favourite way for Prince Harry and others in the royal family to honour Princess Diana.

The statue of Princess Diana that was unveiled last year by Prince William and Harry was surrounded by forget-me-nots.

Diana's younger brother, Charles Earl Spencer, previously outlined Diana's love for the flower.

Earl Spencer gave some forget-me-nots to her when they were younger.

Head gardener Sean Harkin told Vogue in 2017, “They stayed with her as one of her favourite flowers, so it was important to include them.” In 2016, Earl Spencer told People that he gave Diana a white pot of blue forget-me-nots when he was six and it was a lasting memory for him.

There was even a plaque on Princess Diana's monument that shows her decorated with roses and forget-me-nots.

Kensington Palace Gardens are now planted with similar flowers as well.

The rose is a common symbol for all of England, but the forget-me-nots seem to symbolise the late Princess of Wales.

Harry apparently did not know about Diana's fondness for the flower until 2016.

In May 2016, he said, “Incidentally, I found out today that forget-me-nots were my mother's favourite flower growing up, so that's a very nice thing for me, anyway.”

The photograph of the Duchess of Cornwall surrounded by forget-me-nots is a touching tribute to Princess Diana, and it is clear that the royal family continues to honour her memory in a variety of ways.

The release of the portrait also provides a rare glimpse into the life of the Duchess of Cornwall, who is known for her love of gardening and spending time in the countryside.