New King Charles portrait vandalised by animal rights group
A handout photograph taken and released on June 11, 2024 by British animal activist movement Animal Rising shows the new official portrait of King Charles III, painted by British artist Jonathan Yeo, covered with the face of animation character Wallace. PHOTO: AFP/Animal Rising
Protestors on Tuesday covered an official portrait of King Charles III with the face of the eccentric, cheese-loving animation character Wallace to campaign for better animal welfare on farms.
In a video shared by Animal Rising, two campaigners are seen sticking an image of Wallace on top of Charles's face and a speech bubble at a London gallery.
Activists said the protest was aimed at raising awareness about practices at Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) certified farms.
The speech bubble pasted on Charles, who is an RSPCA patron, read: "No cheese, Gromit. Look at all this cruelty on RSPCA farms!" in a reference to Wallace's faithful canine companion.
Animal Rising said the action was aimed at bringing attention to the group's "damning investigation" into 45 RSPCA assured farms, referring to those establishments covered by the body's scheme for maintaining animal welfare standards.
"With King Charles being such a big fan of Wallace and Gromit, we couldn't think of a better way to draw his attention to the horrific scenes on RSPCA Assured farms,", said Daniel Juniper, who was involved in the stunt, according to the post.
Read: King Charles unveils his first portrait since coronation
The owner of the gallery, Philip Mould, said the painting was "safely secured in its frame with protective layers" and that the sticker was only up for "10 or 15 seconds" before being removed by gallery staff.
A police report had been filed, he added.
Charles became a patron of RSPCA in May this year and has previously advocated against animal cruelty, including by banning foie gras in royal residences.