King Charles has been pictured carrying out official duties with his red box for the first time.

The image, taken last week, shows him looking over government papers, just like his mother did during her 70-years reign before this.

Perhaps to remind him of the footsteps he follows in, a framed photo of his parents Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip can be seen in the background.

The black and white picture was given to King George VI for Christmas in 1951 by the couple and has been handed down.

It was placed on a shelf behind the new king as he worked in the Eighteenth Century Room at Buckingham Palace.

Similar photos of the Queen have been taken in the past too, such as in 2015 when she was pictured sitting in her private audience room at Buckingham Palace with her red box, also with family photos behind her.

In the newly released picture, Charles is sitting at a desk with papers, one tied with a ribbon, next to him.

This photo is not as formal as previous images, showing the new king reaching for his papers rather than obviously posing for the camera.

Documents from government ministers and Commonwealth representatives are sent from the private secretary’s office to the King, wherever he is around the world, in a locked, red despatch box.

These include papers which require a signature, briefing documents and information about forthcoming meetings.

Previously, luxury British leather goods company Barrow Hepburn & Gale confirmed that boxes for Charles were in production.

On September 11, a spokesman for the firm said the King would initially receive more than six boxes, which would carry the new royal cypher.

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It is possible that 10 to 12 boxes will be made and delivered in phases over the coming months.

Every box, the price of which is never released, has its own coded lock and is designed to last for many years.

The company says on its website that its boxes ‘follow their holder around the world, ensuring they can execute the responsibilities of their office’.

It adds: ‘Wherever in the world the sovereign or minister is, the red box is close by.

In September 2015, the royal family Facebook account said the Queen received red boxes every day of her reign, including weekends, but not on Christmas Day.

The post said the Queen was still using boxes made for her coronation in 1953, which had been ‘periodically refurbished’ to keep them in good condition.

Barrow Hepburn & Gale said the role of the boxes ‘has not changed for over a century’.

It added: ‘There are two possible reasons why the despatch box became the iconic red colour.

‘The widely-accepted reason relates to Prince Albert, consort to Queen Victoria, who is said to have preferred the colour as it was used prominently in the arms of his family, the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.

‘However, there is a school of thought with origins dating back to the late 16th century, when Queen Elizabeth I’s representative, Francis Throckmorton, presented the Spanish ambassador, Bernardino de Mendoza, with a specially constructed red briefcase filled with black puddings.

‘It was seen as an official communication from the Queen, and so the colour red became the official colour of the state.’

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