King Charles' first official portrait since coronation inspires flurry of memes due to overpowering red hue

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: King Charles III on Tuesday, May 14 unveiled the first official painted portrait of himself since his coronation just over a year ago.

The portrait, a striking oil painting in which he is seen staring head-on against a backdrop of mottled red, pink and fuchsia hues.

King Charles' first official portrait since coronation is unveiled

The royal family posted on social media that the painting, which was created by well-known portraitist Jonathan Yeo, was unveiled at Buckingham Palace. In the video, the king could be seen pulling at a ribbon that was fastened to the fabric that covered the tall sculpture.

As the ribbon dropped, it seemed to offer him a little surprise. In June 2021, while the king was still the Prince of Wales, Mr Yeo, who has painted celebrities including David Attenborough, Idris Elba, and activist Malala Yousafzai, started work on the painting. He is seen with a butterfly circling his shoulder while donning the Welsh Guards uniform, of which he was a Regimental Colonel.

Much like that butterfly, the king’s “role in our public life has transformed,” Mr Yeo said in the statement released on Tuesday, May 14.  

He added, “I do my best to capture the life experiences and humanity etched into any individual sitter’s face, and I hope that is what I have achieved in this portrait,” adding “both a tremendous professional challenge, and one which I thoroughly enjoyed and am immensely grateful for.”

The Worshipful Company of Drapers, a philanthropic organization that originated as a medieval guild of wool and textile merchants, commissioned the 7.5-by-5.5-foot image. The group's baronial quarters in London's financial sector, Drapers' Hall, boasts a gallery of monarchs ranging from King George III to Queen Victoria, and this is where it will hang.

The unveiling came just weeks after the king announced his return to public duties, nearly three months after he disclosed that he had cancer, bringing palpable relief to a country anxious about another wrenching change in the British monarchy.

King Charles trolled over his portrait 

Ever since the revelation, Internet was flooded with jokes and memes regarding the portrait. A user wrote on X, "Vigo the Carpathian."

Another user said, "Nice homage to Marc Chagall's "Red Jew". 

A Facebook user wrote, "All he needs is thorns." Another user said, "Giving satanic vibes." A user wrote, "This is where he will go..Hell." 

The next user said, "Pure evil." The next user said, "This is giving me the vibes of the painting from Ghostbusters."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.