His Majesty King Charles III by Jonathan Yeo 2024
A dramatic new portrait of King Charles has been unveiled.
On May 14, the King, 75, revealed his first official portrait since his coronation in May 2023. The intense, fiery painting by Jonathan Yeo was unveiled at Buckingham Palace and was commissioned in 2020 to commemorate the monarch marking 50 years as a member of The Draper’s Company in 2022.
The portrait features the King in the uniform of the Welsh Guards, connecting to the regiment he was made Regimental Colonel of in 1975 as the Prince of Wales. The position has since passed to his eldest son, Prince William.
Queen Camilla had a thoughtful reaction when she first saw the portrait.
“Yes, you’ve got him,” the Queen, 76, told Yeo, according to the BBC. The piece measures about 8 ½ by 6 ½ feet, framed, to fit in with the architecture of Drapers’ Hall, the hub of the historic guild.
His Majesty King Charles III by Jonathan Yeo 2024
The painting came to be after four sittings, which began in June 2021 at Highgrove House (when Charles was the Prince of Wales), and concluded with a session at Clarence House in November 2023. Yeo, one of the world’s leading portrait artists, has also depicted Prince Philip, Queen Camilla, Malala Yousafzai, Tony Blair, David Cameron, Sir David Attenborough and more.
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“It was a privilege and pleasure to have been commissioned by The Drapers’ Company to paint this portrait of His Majesty The King, the first to be unveiled since his Coronation. 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,” Yeo said in a statement.
“I do my best to capture the life experiences etched into any individual sitter’s face. In this case, my aim was also to make reference to the traditions of Royal portraiture but in a way that reflects a 21st Century Monarchy and, above all else, to communicate the subject’s deep humanity,” he continued. “I’m unimaginably grateful for the opportunity to capture such an extraordinary and unique person, especially at the historic moment of becoming King.”
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The portrait will be displayed to the public from May 16 to June 14 at Philip Mould Gallery in London, with entry free of charge. From there, it’s expected to move to Drapers’ Hall for display from the end of August.
