The King has been pictured on his 74th birthday resting against an ancient oak tree in Windsor Great Park as he assumes the role of Ranger at one of the country’s oldest landed estates.
The new holder of the title, which confers responsibility for overseeing the stewardship of the estate, can trace its roots back to 1559 when Sir Henry Neville was chosen in the reign of Elizabeth I.
The King has been appointed to the position 70 years after his father, the late Prince Philip, took up the role.
Over the past 460 years the post of Ranger has been held by the sovereign and other family members, including the King’s grandfather, George VI.
Paul Sedgwick, the Crown Estate’s deputy ranger and managing