King Charles unveils his first official portrait since coronation – as painting's hidden meaning is revealed
ok.co.ukThe King has revealed the first official portrait of himself since the coronation, which includes one key detail Charles wanted to be added.The portrait, by British artist Jonathan Yeo, had been commissioned in 2020 to celebrate the then Prince of Wales’s 50 years as a member of the philanthropic institution The Drapers’ Company in 2022.
On Tuesday 14 May, the portrait was unveiled at Buckingham Palace and shows the monarch wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards, of which he was made Regimental Colonel in 1975.The noticeable red theme was inspired by the uniform of the Welsh Guards, with the shade seen splashed over much of the portrait.There is also one special detail picked out by Charles himself - a butterfly hovering over the King’s shoulder in the portrait.
After the unveiling, artist Jonathan said he would “love to take full credit for that” but it was “actually the subject’s idea”.
Explaining the reason behind the butterfly during a conversation with the King, Jonathan said they discussed how it would be “nice to have a narrative element which referenced his passion for nature and environment” and he spoke of how Charles “changed jobs halfway through the process” and the butterfly is a “symbol of metamorphosis” so it “tells multiple stories”.
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