The Scottish textile designer commissioned to craft bespoke Balmoral Castle tartan by King Charles

King Charles has commissioned a renowned Scottish textile designer to create a bespoke tartan to “tell the story” of Balmoral Castle.

Araminta Campbell, whose portfolio includes design work for the Fife Arms in Braemar, and Mount St. Restaurant in Mayfair, London, made a joint announcement with Balmoral Estate about the commission.

The announcement said the tartan would be created using “carefully selected” artisan weaving mills across Scotland in an effort to preserve rural mills.

The statement issued on behalf of the Balmoral Estate read: “United in their shared commitment to preserving Scottish cultural heritage, Balmoral Castle and Estate has commissioned Araminta Campbell to craft a bespoke tartan that tells the story of the Balmoral Castle and Estate by request of His Majesty, the King. “In this tartan, in its colours and its threads, lies the essence of Balmoral itself - a timeless sanctuary where history and majesty converge, and where the spirit of Scotland's Highlands lives on. “Balmoral Estate’s and Araminta Campbell’s mutual respect for the environment and natural world is ingrained into each element of this tartan, with natural colours and materials sourced from nature’s own palette and inspiration drawn from the grounds of Balmoral Estate and the surrounding Scottish Highlands.”

Araminta Campbell has been commissioned by Charles to craft a bespoke tartan for Balmoral Castle | Ciara Menzies

The tartan has been commissioned to "tell the story" of Balmoral Castle | Andrew Milligan/PA

The luxury textiles brand has also created soft furnishings for the Royal Yacht Britannia’s floating hotel ­Fingal. The company is led by Araminta Birse-Stewart, and specialises in creating textiles “expressing Scotland’s natural beauty and weaving heritage”.

Araminta Campbell was in 2020 announced on an exclusive list of 12 British brands being mentored by Moneycorp as part of a tie-up with Walpole’s Brands of Tomorrow programme.

Some recent commissions for the Royal family, including portraits of Charles and the Princess of Wales, have caused a strong reaction online in recent weeks.

Jonathan Yeo’s painting of Charles, the first one unveiled post-coronation, depicted the monarch wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards against a vivid red backdrop.

Some critics said the bold use of the colour made them “uncomfortable” and that it looked like Charles was “in hell”.

Responding to the reaction, Yeo said he “got over” the mixed reactions early on and was amused by the internet memes the portrait generated.

As for why he chose to use so much red in the portrait, the 53-year-old told The Sunday Times he wanted it to tone and distract from the King’s brightly coloured uniform.

He said there may have also been “psychological backing, because I had a heart attack [in March 2023] when I was painting this. But certainly none of that I was conscious of – it was just ‘I like this colour’”.

Painter Hannah Uzor’s portrait of Kate, which appeared on the front cover of Tatler Magazine, also prompted a mixed reaction online.

Critics likened it to a drawing done by a child and suggested the work did not resemble the subject.

Uzor said: "All my portraits are made up of layers of a personality, constructed from everything I can find about them." She said it was "really important to capture the soul of the person" and that she had tried to "get a sense of who she is".