The first official painted portrait of the king since his coronation has been unveiled at Buckingham Palace.
The painting was done by renowned portrait artist Jonathan Yeo, whose previous subjects include Idris Elba, Cara Delevingne, Sir David Attenborough, Nicole Kidman, Malala Yousafzai and former prime ministers Sirs David Cameron and Tony Blair.
Yeo, whose work has been exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts and the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC, also painted Queen Camilla and the late Prince Philip.
King sat for Mr Yeo on four occasions between June 2021 and November 2023 at Highgrove in Gloucestershire and Clarence House in London.
Yeo also worked from drawings and photographs of the monarch to progress between sessions.
Unveiling his work at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, he said: “It was a privilege and a 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.
“When I began this project, His Majesty the King was still His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and, like the butterfly I 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 on any nanny’s face.
“In this case, my aim was also to reference the traditions of royal portraiture, but in a way that reflected a 21st century monarchy and, above all, to communicate the deep humanity of the subject.
“I am unimaginably grateful for the opportunity to capture such an extraordinary and unique person, especially at the historic moment of becoming king.”
In addition to attending the inauguration ceremony in London, the king held his first investiture in five months – and the first since his cancer diagnosis – at Windsor Castle.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, was one of 52 honored – and received the Grand Cross of the Knights of the Royal Victorian Order.
The king’s doctors granted him permission to return to public duties last month.
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Dame Jilly Cooper was among the investitures at Windsor Castle today. Photo: PA
His portrait was originally commissioned in 2020 to mark his 50 years as a member of The Draper’s Company in 2022.
It shows him wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards, of which he was appointed regimental colonel in 1975.
The dimensions of the painting, which is oil on canvas, were specific to suit the architecture of Drapers Hall, where it will eventually hang.
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It will first be shown at the Philip Mold Gallery in London from May 16 to June 14, before moving to Drapers’ Hall at the end of August.
The Drapers’ Company is a group of seven charitable trusts dedicated to helping disadvantaged people. Its connections to the Royal Family date back to 1364, when it received its first charter from King Edward III.
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