Everything You Need to Know About King Charles' First Official Portrait

King Charles III just headed a ceremony at Buckingham Palace recently where he revealed to the public his first official portrait by UK artist Jonathan Yeo. This artwork is the first portrait of Charles since his coronation, as reported by ABC News. The portrait uses red shades that are very similar to the uniform of the Welsh Guards, of which the King has been the regimental colonel since 1975. In the portrait, Charles is shown with his hands on his sword while a monarch butterfly hovers over his right shoulder. It measures 8.5 by 6.5 feet and will be on display at the Philip Mould Gallery in London from May 16 to June 14, after which it will be moved to the Drapers’ Hall.

The royal family additionally uploaded a brief video on social media in which the King revealed the painting. In the video, Charles and Yeo stop to gaze at the portrait as the audience applauds. Nevertheless, Charles appears to be a little surprised for a moment after he takes off the black cloak to show the red king, who is staring back at him. Besides, Queen Camilla stated that Yeo indeed did his work well as she said, "Yes, you’ve captured him," as reported by News.com.

Meanwhile, the artist, known for his portraits of the Queen Consort and the late Duke of Edinburgh, expressed his approach to the painting, stating that he strived to capture the life experiences reflected in the face of each person, according to TODAY. Yeo, speaking about his goal, said that he wanted to 'make reference to the traditions of royal portraiture but in a way that reflects a 21st-century monarchy.' Yeo also expressed immense gratitude for the chance to depict such an exceptional individual.

He wrote, "It was a privilege and pleasure to have been commissioned by The Drapers’ Company to paint this portrait of His Majesty The King. When I started this project, His Majesty The King was still His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, and 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." As reported by US Weekly, he added, "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."

However, social media trolled the portrait ruthlessly. Numerous users shared gifs and images of Dracula and other television and movie characters, drawing comparisons to the portrait. One person exclaimed, "Who approved King Charles III’s new portrait cuz it looks like he’s in hell?!" Someone else, making a similar point, joked, "I unironically love the new King Charles portrait because of how evil it looks. Archdemon of hell ass portrait."

Evidently, many other netizens quipped about the King being in 'hell,' but some others did defend the artwork: "Cards on the table, I know very little about art. But having seen this new Jonathan Yeo portrait of King Charles in the flesh - and there is so much more depth and complexity to it in person - I like it. I wonder what King George V and Queen Mary would have made of it though?"