The first official portrait of the king since his coronation has been unveiled at Buckingham Palace.
The person behind the work is Jonathan Yeo, who also painted Tony Blair, David Attenborough and Malala Yousafzai. However, not everyone liked his work.
The artist said he wanted the monarch's painting to be distinctive and break with the past. His goal was to create something personal. He decided to use some of the traditional elements of a royal portrait, including military attire and a sword, but wanted to "achieve something more modern, especially with the deep colour."
"It was an honour and pleasure to be asked by The Drapers' Company to paint a portrait of His Majesty, the first to be unveiled since his coronation. Trying to capture the life experience of a man who plays such a unique role was a huge professional challenge, as well as one that I thoroughly enjoyed and am extremely grateful for," admitted Yeo.
Charles III's portrait is controversial online
The bloody red engulfing the image of the monarch sparked a heated discussion on the internet. "Is this the blood of all the colonies?" "I don't want to be mean, but I really thought someone painted it to look like it was burning in hell," "How could a team of secretaries, aides, advisers, PR and the wife see this and not to think about blood? I feel embarrassed," "I assume the red symbolises the atrocities the monarchy has committed throughout history?" — these are just a few of the dozens of negative comments.
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However, some internet users defended the monarch, writing, for example, "What the hell did he do to deserve such hatred? After all, he is a human being and has feelings like anyone else. God save the king" or "I actually like it. I think that the picture is beautiful and tragic at the same time, especially considering the condition of the monarch. Charles was not a happy man."
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This article was originally published on Onet Woman.