King Charles has revealed his first official portrait since his coronation in 2023, with many social media commentators quick to label the artwork “disturbing”.
Painted by Jonathan Yeo, this is not your typical monarch portrait — Charles is depicted amid shades of red and orange with a butterfly appearing to land on his shoulder.
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Charles unveiled the artwork — originally commissioned in 2020 to celebrate the Prince of Wales’ 50 years as a member of the charitable institution The Drapers’ Company — at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.
Yeo had four sittings with King, the first when he was still Prince of Wales.
The final sitting was in November 2023 at Clarence House.
The monarch is seen in the uniform of the Welsh Guards, a division of which he was made Regimental Colonel in 1975.
“It was a privilege and pleasure to have been commissioned by The Drapers’ Company to paint this portrait of His Majesty the King, the first to be unveiled since his coronation,” Yeo said.
“When I started this project, His Majesty … was still His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and, much like the butterfly I’ve painted hovering over his shoulder, this portrait has evolved as the subject’s role in our public life has transformed.
“I do my best to capture the life experiences etched into any individual sitter’s face.
“In this case, my aim was also to make reference to the traditions of royal portraiture but in a way that reflects a 21st century monarchy and, above all else, to communicate the subject’s deep humanity.
“I’m unimaginably grateful for the opportunity to capture such an extraordinary and unique person, especially at the historic moment of becoming King.”
However, the portrait was not so well received on social media where some people thought the colouring was “creepy”.
One person remarked on X the King must have requested the artist to “paint me in a portal to hell”.
Another person said: “I would have loved this if it was any other colour than red. He really captured the essence of him in the face but the harshness of the red doesn’t match the softness of his expression.”
“Is this a joke or for real?” another person asked.
“The bloody monarch,” someone else commented.
Others called the artwork “creepy”, “a little disturbing”, and “like he’s bathing in blood”.
The portrait is set to hang in London’s Drapers’ Hall.