LONDON (TND) — King Charles III unveiled his first official portrait since his coronation last year and drew some mixed reactions online.
The vivid image depicts him in the bright red uniform of the Welsh Guards - which he was made Regimental Colonel in 1975 - against a background of similar hues.
Charles was joined by his wife Queen Camilla as the king's larger-than-life painting by artist Jonathan Yeo debuted at Buckingham Palace.
Yeo began the portrait more than a year before Charles became king, with a sitting at the then-Prince of Wales’ Highgrove estate in June 2021. The last sitting took place in November 2023 at Clarence House, one of the king’s residences in London.
"I do my best to capture the life experiences and humanity etched into any individual sitter’s face, and I hope that is what I have achieved in this portrait," Yeo went on to say. "To try and capture that for His Majesty The King, who occupies such a unique role, was both a tremendous professional challenge, and one which I thoroughly enjoyed and am immensely grateful for."
The portrait measures approximately 8 1/2 by 6 1/2 feet and will be on display at the Philip Mould Gallery in London from May 16 to June 14. It will ultimately be displayed at Drapers’ Hall which was originally owned by King Henry VIII.
The portrait was commissioned to celebrate Charles' 50 years as a member of the Drapers’ Company, which was set up more than 600 years ago as a trade association for wool merchants.
In the comments section of the Instagram post, one commenter wrote "I'm sorry but his portrait looks like he's in hell."
While another wrote, "I think this is beautiful and such a break from the traditional portraits."
Some also thought it was a joke while others said they would have expected a portrait with more nature.
"Given his love of nature and preservation, I am surprised there was not a natural landscape portrayed behind him," a comment said.
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Editor's note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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