Britain’s King Charles unveiled his first official portrait since his May coronation. The portrait, created by artist Jonathan Yeo, features Charles in the Welsh Guards military uniform against a vivid red background, with a butterfly above his shoulder.
Yeo, 53, stated, “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.” Yeo, who previously painted Charles’ late father, Prince Philip, added that he aimed to reference the traditions of Royal portraiture while reflecting a 21st-century monarchy and communicating the subject’s deep humanity.
The portrait unveiled at Buckingham Palace, was commissioned in 2020 to celebrate the then Prince of Wales’s 50 years as a member of the grant-giving body, The Drapers’ Company. Yeo’s past subjects include broadcaster and naturalist David Attenborough, Oscar-winning actor Nicole Kidman, and former Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The palace said that the oil on canvas artwork, measuring about 8 1/2 by 6 1/2 feet, will be displayed at Drapers’ Hall in London’s financial district from the end of August.
