King Charles reveals first official portrait painted since coronation

King Charles III unveiled his first official painted portrait on Tuesday, marking the first since his coronation just over a year ago. The captivating oil artwork depicts him looking straight ahead, set against various shades of red, pink and fuchsia.

The royal family announced the unveiling of the painting, created by esteemed portraitist Jonathan Yeo, at Buckingham Palace via social media channels. A video clip captured the king pulling out a ribbon, revealing the imposing portrait. His reaction suggested a pleasant surprise when the fabric fell off.

Yeo, known for his portraits of prominent figures such as David Attenborough, Idris Elba and activist Malala Yousafzai, began the portrait project in June 2021, when the king held the title Prince of Wales. The painting shows him adorned in the uniform of the Welsh Guards, the regiment for which he served as Regimental Colonel, with a butterfly perched delicately on his shoulder.

Just like that butterfly, the king’s “role in our public life has transformed,” Yeo said in the statement released Tuesday by the royal family. “I do my best to capture the life experiences and humanity etched into the face of any individual sitter, and I hope that is what I achieved in this portrait,” he said, noting that trying to capture the king was “both a tremendous professional experience challenge and one that I thoroughly enjoyed and for which I am immensely grateful.”

The Worshipful Company of Drapers, a medieval guild once dedicated to wool and cloth merchants and now focused on philanthropy, commissioned the portrait. Measuring 7.5 feet by 5.5 feet, it will find its place in Drapers’ Hall, the guild’s majestic headquarters located in London’s financial district. The hall already houses a gallery with monarchs ranging from King George III to Queen Victoria, The New York Times report said.

The inauguration ceremony took place just weeks after the king announced his return to public duties. This announcement came nearly three months after he revealed his battle with cancer, offering palpable relief to a nation anxious about potential upheaval within the British monarchy.

Queen Camilla is said to have looked at the painting and said to Yeo: “Yes, you’ve got him.”