Hot line to Downing Street: What is King Charles doing with the "Red Box"?

Charles III takes over as the new king.

Hot line to Downing Street: What is King Charles doing with the "Red Box"?

Charles III takes over as the new king. all the duties of his late mother. Regular exchanges with the government are, of course, part of this. The traditional method of communication has not changed for more than 100 years.

With his new office come new duties on the British King Charles III. to. Now, for the first time, he has been photographed reading government documents from the famous Red Box. The monarch, who automatically succeeded his mother Elizabeth II on the death of his mother on September 8, is seen at an ornate desk at Buckingham Palace in the image released by the Palace.

The "red box" with the government documents is on a padded piece of furniture next to the table. Different papers with stamps and handwritten notes look out. A black and white photo of the king's parents, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, can be seen in the background.

The red box is a kind of hotline to Downing Street, where the British Prime Minister sits. The British monarch receives daily updates on important government events and activities. Laws that need to be signed before they can come into force are also kept in the lockable red boxes by luxury manufacturer Barrow Hepburn

While all government boxes are stamped with the royal lettering, the Queen's personal box is inscribed "The Queen". The king will have its own imprint. Regarding the box's history, the manufacturer shared that the box's role in the government process "hasn't changed for over a century".

According to the manufacturer, there are two theories for the iconic red color. The commonly accepted reason goes back to Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's consort, who is said to have favored the color as it was prominently used in the coat of arms of his family, the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

The curious second explanation goes back to the 16th century and to Queen Elizabeth I. Queen emissary Francis Throckmorton presented the Spanish ambassador, Bernardino de Mendoza, with a specially made red briefcase filled with black pudding. Because the action was seen as an official communication from the Queen, the color red became the official state color from then on.