A portrait of His Majesty King Charles III, taken by our good friend and former colleague Philip “Phil” Bermingham, was unveiled at Government House on 8 October 2026. For Phil, who began his photography career in the Bermuda Police Scenes of Crime office, it was an opportunity to give something back to the island that helped shape his life.

As a young policeman in the 1970s, Phil did his share of patrolling the grounds of Government House. Who could have imagined that, some 50 years later, he would return to those same grounds to photograph the King?

Phil’s interest in photography developed after he was posted to the Scenes of Crime office. His work ranged from photographing crime scenes, convicted criminals, new police recruits, officers on their promotions to a host of Police-related official and social activities. He also captured sporting action at our annual police boxing tournaments, where his photographs proved to be a knockout!

The photograph below has been displayed for many years in the main hallway at the Police Recreation Club.

Read Phil’s life story in our Then and Now article

After leaving Bermuda, Phil built a career as an internationally renowned portrait photographer, photographing presidents, prime ministers and a host well-known personalities. A particular highlight was his portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh with President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush.

In 2022, Phil published 'Portraiture: On the Job', a collection spanning 40 years of his photography. The cover features the late Queen and Prince Philip, and the book includes a portrait of the young Prince Charles. Through his association with the British Embassy in Washington DC and the Royal Shakespeare Company, Phil had photographed Charles on six previous occasions.

When he heard that the King was planning to visit Bermuda, Phil saw a unique opportunity to express his gratitude to the island.

As he explained:  “When I heard that The King was visiting Bermuda I contacted the Governor Andrew Murdoch and asked if he could arrange for a session with the King during which I could take a casual relaxed portrait of him which I would give to the people of Bermuda in appreciation of the training and skill sets that I learned during my time as a police photographer. The Governor liked this idea and contacted the King who agreed and personally asked to be photographed with the Royal Poinciana tree he planted when he visited in 1970.”

The sitting took place during the King’s visit in May 2026, on the terrace at Government House, with the Royal Poinciana tree in the background.

The portrait was unveiled at the King’s Celebration Garden Party at Government House on 8 October, with Philip among several hindred invited guests. As the Royal Gazette reported, the portrait will hang in the dining room, replacing the official photograph taken after the King’s Coronation. The King personally agreed to the sitting and approved the final image.

Governor Murdoch described the portrait as a permanent reminder of the King’s visit to Bermuda.

Read the excellent Royal Gazette report of the unveiling

Philip later told me:  “Governor Murdoch really made this happen. To get permission for the session and have the King personally select and approve the final image was no easy task, and I was greatly assisted by the Governor’s ADC Christopher Matvey and his secretary Tanya Davis. We had the portrait made and framed locally.”

For all his success, Phil’s affection for Bermuda and his former colleagues remains as strong as ever:

“The single best move of my life was moving to Bermuda to join the Bermuda Police. Bermuda is in my heart and soul and the friends and colleagues I met there are so valuable to me, and I feel so fortunate that this encounter came out so well.”

"He explained that the words 'On the Job' in his book’s title refer to the colleagues who served alongside him in the Bermuda Police. He added:

“I was honoured to have served with them and I would like to share this honour with them.”