He’s in the thick of a cancer battle and when King Charles’ portrait was unveiled to the public on May 15, 2024, it was met with a strong, mostly negative reaction from the public. The painting was commissioned to artist Jonathan Yeo, who delivered the royal’s first portrait since his coronation a little over 12 months ago.
“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,” Yeo said of his work, per CBS.
“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.”
The bold choice of color palette—a rich red, mostly—is what divided fans. When the portrait debuted on the official @TheRoyalFamily Instagram account, comments observed that Charles “looks like he’s in hell”. “Without sounding rude, this is the worst royal portrait I’ve ever seen,” another person observed. Comments on the post have since been limited.
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The artist spoke to Hello! about why he chose red to depict His Majesty. “The color was an early experiment and then I sketched it out and worked on the face, and the face and background worked so well. I just then worked on making sure nothing else interfered with the balance. It was a nice mix of the traditional and the contemporary,” Yeo said.
The butterfly is supposed to represent the monarch’s passion for nature but also his metamorphosis from the Prince of Wales into the King. The work was commissioned back in 2020 while Queen Elizabeth II was still alive. “When he became king halfway through the process, it worked on that level as well,” said Yeo. “It’s a lovely simple device but one with many associations.”
