@quilloftheclouds I thought it would be better if I moved my response here for now XD sorry about the delay!
The Kosmosian Royal Family have had a tradition for over two centuries, that consists of having a family portrait officially painted when the Crown Prince or Princess turns 10 years old. The portrait features the reigning monarch, their spouse (if alive), and any children they have. The Crown Prince/ss is featured in the centre of the portrait, with any siblings beside them. In the case of only two children, the Crown Prince/ss is on the side of the reigning monarch.
This tradition is repeated every time the Crown Prince/ss turns 10, creating a cohesive line featuring the reigning monarch as a child and as the monarch.
This is my MC Anjelika with her parents on her 10th birthday, with the portrait being painted as per the tradition. (art by @arrhythmiacomic!)
They all wear formal outfits similar to this, including their crowns/tiaras and other valuable pieces of jewelery and such. As the portrait is painted on the Crown Prince/ss’ 10th birthday, this is considered a key part of the celebration. The portrait is specifically taken on the 10th birthday because it’s considered a good luck number, as well as the fact that a child who makes it to age 10 is more likely to survive to adulthood.
As for colours, they tend to wear darker colours like royal blues and emeralds, but as you can see in the picture - the Queen’s dress has silver edges and gloves, whilst the King and Anjelika have gold. If Anjelika were to have any siblings, they would have silver lined outfits like the Queen does. It’s another way of distinguishing who is the next in line to the throne.
A few other Facts TM that are related to this:
Katarzyna is the only monarch to reign where she was not the Crown Princess in the previous portrait. When her elder sister Elżbieta turned 10, her father the King had a portrait painted of the four of them (the King, and his three daughters. Katarzyna was 8 at the time). This was the very first portrait. The untimely death of the King and his eldest daughter meant that Katarzyna succeeded the crown, and she continued the tradition.
The monarch and the Crown Prince/ss both wear a gold crown/tiara where the others wear silver.
The necklace Anjelika is wearing in the portrait is an heirloom that was created by her 6x great grandmother, Queen Katarzyna. The necklace is almost identical to the one Katarzyna’s elder sister had, but was destroyed beyond repair when she died. The replica is the one that has been passed down from Queen to Crown Princess ever since. The necklace is considered so precious that it is only worn for special events alongside the tiara.
The same exists for the golden ring the King possesses. Unlike the necklace, however, that is in fact the original that Katarzyna’s father owned at the time of his death, and this has been passed down from King to Crown Princes.
The portraits are traditionally painted and regal attire is worn for the painting, and it’s unlikely to change even though photographs are taken for other Royal events.
The portraits that are painted are hung along the corridor that runs adjacent to the library.
As of right now, there are 8 portraits that hang there - the first being Katarzyna’s father as the reigning monarch, and the last featuring Anjelika as a child. The next one will be painted when Anjelika’s first child turns 10 years old.
