Buckingham Palace highlights Prince of Wales's historic artworks after Vatican trip

The Royal Family’s official Instagram account on Thursday spotlighted the “Raphael Cartoons” originally purchased by Charles I when he was Prince of Wales in the 17th century. 

The post comes shortly after King Charles and Queen Camilla’s visit to the Vatican. 

The Royal Family’s account noted that the seven surviving cartoons have been part of the Royal Collection since 1623 and are on long-term loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. 

According to a statement on Royal Collection Trust, Raphael and his studio created ten cartoons as full-scale designs for tapestries known as the Acts of the Apostles. 

The woven tapestries were commissioned by Pope Leo X for the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel. 

Three of Raphael’s preparatory studies for the cartoons also belong to the Royal Collection, underscoring the enduring connection between the British monarchy and the Renaissance master’s legacy. 

The Royal Collection Trust, which manages the artworks, described the cartoons as “among the greatest treasures of the Italian Renaissance.”