Man Charged With Defacing Queen Elizabeth II Portrait

A 41-year-old man was charged with defacing a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II that was on display at the Chapter House in Westminster Abbey.

Tim Haries — an electrician from Doncaster, South Yorkshire — is charged with criminal damage over £5,000 ($7,848). He will appear in custody at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court Friday.

Fathers’ rights group Fathers 4 Justice confirmed that the vandal was one of their members acting out an unofficial protest ahead of Father’s Day. The group identified Haries as a father of two.

“Up to four million children will be without a father this Father’s Day,” campaign director Jolly Stanesby said. “Tim Haries has lost all contact with his children and felt he had nothing to lose by appealing directly to the Queen for help by spraying his plea onto her portrait.”

The oil painting, entitled “The Coronation Theatre, Westminster Abbey: A Portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II” is by London-based Australian-born artist Ralph Heimans and was completed last year for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The 9-foot by 11-foot portrait, which depicts the Queen in state dress, was removed from public view.

“In an incident at lunchtime today, a visitor to the Abbey sprayed paint on the Ralph Heimans portrait of the Queen presently on display in the Chapter House,” a Westminster Abbey spokesman said.

“Until work can be done to remedy the damage it will, very regrettably, not be possible to have the painting on public view.”

The painting, which was purchased by Lord and Lady Harris of Peckham, was supposed to remain on public display until September.

Buckingham Palace has declined to comment on the incident, which comes nine days after the Queen and other members of the royal family attended a service marking the 60th anniversary of her coronation.

What do you think should happen to the man who defaced the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II?