King Charles' first official post-coronation portrait unveiled

Buckingham Palace has unveiled the inaugural painted portrait of King Charles III since his coronation. 

The portrait features the King holding a sword, with a butterfly alighting on his shoulder. 

The vibrant red artwork, measuring 8 feet 15 inches by 6 feet 15 inches, is the creation of Jonathan Yeo, renowned for his portraits of figures such as Tony Blair, Sir David Attenborough, and Malala Yousafzai.

The expansive oil-on-canvas piece portrays King Charles in the uniform of the Welsh Guards, depicted larger-than-life.

The painting was the result of four sessions, commencing at Highgrove House in June 2021 during Charles' tenure as the Prince of Wales, and culminating with a session at Clarence House in November 2023.

As reported by the BBC, Queen Camilla made an appearance during the last session and remarked that the artist had portrayed the King accurately. 

Yeo believes that the most reliable critic of a portrait is someone familiar with the subject because they can instantly recognize whether it captures their essence.

Yeo said that the King also looked at the portrait in its "half-done state… He was initially mildly surprised by the strong colour but otherwise he seemed to be smiling approvingly."