By Shirley Farmer 
Buckingham Palace unveiled the first official portrait of Charles III, more than a year after the coronation, with a red background and a silhouette of the king in the same color as the outfit, drawn by the famous British artist Jonathan Yeo.
The painting shows the King from the front, wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards, a regiment of which he has been colonel since 1975 and whose red color serves as the emblem of the entire painting.
The king was posed four times before the painter, between 2021 and 2023, the last of which was in November 2023.
Jonathan Yeo added to the initial project a small butterfly flying on the king's back at his request, to illustrate his “passion for nature and the environment,” the artist explained during a presentation of the work, Tuesday, at Buckingham Palace.
The painting, which measures 2.6 x 2 metres, was commissioned in 2020 to mark the 50th anniversary of Carlos’ membership of the British Textile Guild, one of London’s historical business associations.
“When I began this project, His Majesty was still the Prince of Wales, and just like the butterfly I painted flying behind his back, the image has evolved as its function in our public life has progressed,” the painter declared in his talk.
He added: “In this case, my goal was also to reference the traditions of royal photography, but in a way that reflects the monarchy in the 21st century and, above all, communicates the deep humanity” of the king.
Modernity or hell?
The unexpectedly modern painting and its bold red color quickly sparked mixed reactions online, particularly in comments on Buckingham Palace's Instagram post about the image.
“I think it's beautiful and goes against traditional images,” one commenter wrote.
Another follower said: “I'm sorry, but the picture looks like he's in hell.”
Others in the comments section saw some of both sides, with one person writing: “I would have loved this if it had been a color other than red. It really captured the essence of his face, but the harshness of the red doesn't do it justice.” It suits the softness of your expression.”
There are still those who expect the image to be more based on nature, as Carlos is known as an environmentalist. “Given his love of nature and conservation, I'm surprised the landscape behind him isn't photographed,” another comment said.
Famous painter
Jonathan Yeo is a British artist known for his numerous portraits of figures such as former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and David Cameron, actors Kevin Spacey, Nicole Kidman, and Jude Law, and Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai.
The artist painted pictures of a number of members of the royal family in the past, such as Camilla before she became queen, and Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II.
The official portrait of Charles III will be on display for several weeks at an exhibition in London.