The first portrait of King Charles as monarch has been unveiled, but experts have suggested the artist has hidden a deeper meaning in its key details.
Jonathan Yeo’s 8-foot-tall oil on canvas was unveiled to the public and the royal family at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.
The painting shows the King in his Welsh Guards uniform with a sword in his hand and a butterfly on his shoulder, while the entire canvas is awash in a deep red color.
Yeo has made no secret of the fact that for this session he wanted to break tradition and make this portrait ‘more dynamic and contemporary’.
That’s why viewers can see some of the traditions maintained, such as the military uniform and the sword, but with a touch of modernity in the striking red color and the butterfly.
Jonathan Yeo’s 2.5 meter tall oil on canvas was unveiled to the public and royal family at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace today
Charles stands today at Buckingham Palace next to Jonathan Yeo who painted the portrait. The painting shows the King in his Welsh Guards uniform with a sword in his hand and a butterfly on his shoulder, while the entire canvas is awash in a deep red color.
One of the most poignant details is the butterfly above the monarch’s shoulder.
Yeo says its inclusion was actually the Kings’ idea, which came about when the two discussed the story behind the portrait.
“I said, when schoolchildren look at this in two hundred years and they look at the who’s who of the monarchs, what clues can you give them?
“He said, ‘What about a butterfly landing on my shoulder?’
Yeo added that “in art history, the butterfly symbolizes metamorphosis and rebirth,” which he said was perfect considering Charles’ title had changed during the hearing.
‘When I started this project, His Majesty the King was still His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and like the butterfly I painted over his shoulder, this portrait has evolved as the subject’s role in our public life has changed.
“I do my best to capture the life experiences etched into the face of each individual sitter.”
The artwork was initially commissioned in 2020 to celebrate the then Prince of Wales’s 50th anniversary as a member of The Drapers’ Company.
The painting was completed by renowned artist Jonathan Yeo (pictured in London in 2018)
King Charles III prepares today for the unveiling of the painting at Buckingham Palace in London
A portrait by Jonathan Yeo of Queen Camilla in 2014, when she was Duchess of Cornwall
The butterfly is also a reference to the king’s long-held interest in the environment, having “advocated for the environment for most of his life and certainly long before it became a mainstream conversation.”
However, Professor Geraldine Johnson, head of the University of Oxford’s Department of Art History, suggested, speaking to MailOnline, that the inclusion of the insect could be a nod to the ‘endangered’ future of the monarchy.
‘According to Yeo, the butterfly was a casual suggestion from the king. If true, it may be due to Charles’s familiarity with half a millennium of British portraiture,” she said.
‘But it undoubtedly also reflects his lifelong passion for the natural world. However, one wonders if it was the King or Yeo who made the decision to depict a monarch butterfly in particular.
‘While its name suggests royalty, its endangered status may inadvertently say as much about the king’s concerns about the future of the monarchy as it does about the natural world.’
She added that the butterfly “evokes the portraits of Elizabeth I, with insects, plants and animals embroidered onto her dresses and made into elaborate pendants and brooches.”
King Charles unveils his portrait by artist Jonathan Yeo at Buckingham Palace today
King Charles smiles as he arrives today for the unveiling, which he attended four times, starting when he was Prince of Wales in June 2021
Queen Camilla warmly greets the artist Jonathan Yeo during the unveiling today
The uniform of the Welsh Guards is said to be inspired by the red theme. Yeo says on his website that he chose to blur the uniform and define the face to give viewers a sense of connection to the Monarch.
‘As a portrait artist you get this unique opportunity to spend time and get to know a subject. That’s why I wanted to minimize visual distractions and allow people to connect with the human underneath.”
Prof Johnson added: ‘Red is a striking color that cannot easily be ignored. It is a color that in everyday life we associate with a warning or prohibition – think of a stop sign.
‘But red also has historical associations with power, including through a long tradition of royal portraits.
‘For example, Napoleon was depicted on his imperial throne wearing sumptuous red robes edged with ermine in an iconic portrait by Ingres, while Henry VIII was famously depicted by Holbein in a crimson dress.
‘Queen Victoria was also often depicted in official portraits dressed in red velvet.’
Yeo has previously produced commissions from Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Camilla, Sir Tony Blair and Lord David Cameron.
The portrait will eventually hang in Drapers’ Hall, a livery company and philanthropic institution in the City of London.
