If the weight of responsibility rests heavily on their shoulders, they do not show it.
The King is depicted alongside two heirs to the throne, the Prince of Wales, 40, and Prince George, 9, in a new portrait released to mark the Coronation.
Together, they represent the future of the monarchy as it stretches many decades into the future.
The photograph was taken by Hugo Burnand in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace, shortly after the ceremony on May 6.
His Majesty, seated on a throne in the centre of the image, is suitably regal.
Burnand has described how he wanted to depict the monarch as “the real man” that he is. “He is of his age. With that comes wisdom and experience and all those things,” he said.
The King’s fur-lined Robe of Estate, draped around his shoulders, is displayed in all of its glory. Carefully draped over his right knee, it cascades down the steps over the red carpet towards the camera.
The robe was made for the King’s grandfather, George VI, in 1937.
Below the velvet robe is his purple satin Coronation tunic, its design inspired by similar tunics worn by George VI, and by his great-grandfather, George V, at their coronations.
The royal naval trousers belong to the King and are regularly worn as part of His Majesty’s Royal Navy full ceremonial tailcoat.
On his head is the heavy Imperial State Crown - positioned at a slightly jaunty angle - which weighs 2.3lb (1.06kg).
Imperial State Crown
Made of gold and set with 2868 diamonds, the crown features at its heart the Black Prince Ruby, part of the royal collection since the 14th century and worn by Henry V in his helmet during the Battle of Agincourt.
The Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross
The King is holding in his right hand the Sceptre with Cross, representing temporal power.
Originally made for Charles II in 1661, it has since undergone a number of alterations, including the addition of a huge drop-shaped diamond, Cullinan I, which weighs 530.2 carats.
The Orb
In his left hand is the Orb, a hollow, 30cm-wide piece of regalia designed to represent the globe, a symbol of the sovereign’s Christian power.
It is mounted with nine emeralds, 18 rubies, nine sapphires, 365 diamonds, 375 pearls, one amethyst and one glass stone.
The throne chair
His throne chair is one of a pair made in 1902 for the future King George V and Queen Mary for use at the coronation of Edward VII.
The heirs
The King is flanked by his elder son to his right and his elder grandson to his left.
Prince William is wearing the red ceremonial dress uniform of the Welsh Guards underneath his navy blue Order of the Garter mantle.
Although he is positioned behind his father, his height gives him an air of authority, while his upright stature also suggests independence.
The young Prince George, by comparison, is resting one gloved hand on the throne and is leaning very slightly towards his grandfather.
His smile betrays a hint of nervousness, perhaps unable to escape the unspoken significance of this particular shot and all that it conveys.
The Prince is wearing his scarlet Page of Honour tunic, decorated with gold lace trim and blue velvet cuffs.
The uniforms were originally made by Ede and Ravenscroft during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and have been re-tailored for the Coronation.
In the second portrait, the King and Queen are surrounded by the close family members and friends who they each chose to support them on the day as Pages of Honour and Ladies in Attendance.
On the King’s far right are his own four pages, each of whom did a sterling job of carrying his robes throughout the Coronation ceremony.
The King and Queen take centre stage, their Robes of Estate artfully draped before them.
To their left is Annabel Elliot, 74, the Queen’s sister, to whom she is extremely close.
Both Ladies in Attendance are wearing ivory dresses designed by Fiona Clare.
To Mrs Elliot’s left are the Queen’s four pages; Freddy Parker Bowles, 13, Arthur Elliot, 10, and twins Gus and Louis Lopes, 13.
Freddy and Louis are in outfits based on the uniform of the Grenadier Guards, in honour of Her Majesty’s role as its Colonel-in-Chief.
Gus and Arthur are in outfits based on the uniform of the Rifles, of which the Queen is also Colonel-in-Chief.
The group all appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony following the Coronation ceremony.
Lady Lansdowne revealed that neither she, Mrs Elliot, nor the Pages had expected to do so and were only told “one minute before”.
Recalling the moment, she told the BBC: “You could feel the enthusiasm of the crowds, you could feel all those wonderful people in the rain - just willing them on and it was the most extraordinary experience - this groundswell of singing and chanting and clapping.
“And for those little boys, something they will never forget. If you’re 9 or 10, that’s something that will stay with you forever.”
Reassuring photographs remind Britain its royal dynasty will endure
For generations, the royal family has urged the public to look to the future.
By posing alongside their heirs, particularly during a point of significant upheaval, they seek to convey a sense of reassurance and of continuity.
Such portraits act as a reminder that the institution will always evolve.
The image released on Friday of the King flanked by his two heirs presents a clear vision of the monarchy’s future.
It is designed to suggest unity, stability and the seamless transfer of power.
“You can rely on us,” they may as well shout. “The Firm - and therefore the nation - will be safe in our hands as far as the eye can see.”
The image also presents a portrayal of the slimmed-down, less expensive monarchy envisaged by the King.
Similarly, in January 2020, a portrait was released depicting Elizabeth II with the three future Kings: Charles, William and George.
It marked only the second time that an image of all four royals together had been issued - the first being in 2016 to mark the late Queen’s 90th birthday, when a 2-year-old Prince George stood on blocks.
The second came amid a particularly bumpy time for the monarchy - just four days later the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed they would be stepping back from their roles.
Harry and Meghan were said at the time to have been upset at the release of the “line of succession” photograph and saw it as a signal that they were being excluded from royal life.
Perhaps they were. If not, it may well have hastened their exit.
But it is a tradition that stretches much further back in the annals of time.
Some 120 years earlier, Queen Victoria had posed in a similar fashion with her own heirs: Edward VII, George V, and a young Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor.
The portrait, titled Four Generations, was taken by photographer John Chancellor at Osborne House in the Isle of Wight in 1899.
It depicts the elderly monarch seated and looking away from the camera. Next to her is her 5-year-old great-grandson, the future Edward VIII, while behind her on either side are her son, Edward VII, and grandson, George V.
The image, taken shortly after Queen Victoria’s 80th birthday, is in the collection at the National Portrait Gallery.
It is one of a number of portraits the monarch organised to commemorate all four generations of sovereigns being alive at the same time.
In a letter she wrote shortly after Edward’s birth to her daughter, Vicky, the Princess Royal, she expressed her pleasure at such an occurrence.
“You rejoice as I do, indeed, and as the whole nation does, to the most wonderful degree at the birth of dear Georgie’s boy,” she said.
“It is a great pleasure and satisfaction... It is true that it has never happened in this country that there should be three direct heirs as well as the Sovereign alive.”
Just like her successors, the late Queen is said to have been only too aware of the pressures on royal dynasties to survive.
Six people have now died in a suspected mass methanol poisoning event.