King Charles portrait: ‘mystique’ or ‘monstrosity’?

“Nothing quite divides opinion like a royal portrait”, and the latest attempt to depict our reigning monarch King Charles III is “no exception”.

The striking portrait was unveiled at Buckingham Palace yesterday, said The Art Newspaper, and shows Charles “bathed in red”, and wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards, sword in hand and with an “eco-friendly” Monarch butterfly landing on his shoulder – said to have been suggested by the King himself as a nod to his interest in conservation and the environment.

‘Yes, you’ve got him’

The “vivid red work” is the first official portrait of the King since his coronation, and its creator, artist Jonathan Yeo, is no stranger to high-profile commissions, having painted Tony Blair, David Attenborough and Malala Yousafzai, said the BBC’s culture editor Katie Razzall. Still, unveilings are “always a little nerve-wracking” for both the sitter and the artist. But this one appears to have had the royal seal of approval. Queen Camilla is said to have seen the painting before its unveiling and told Yeo: “Yes, you’ve got him.”