Artist Yeo says butterfly detail was Charles’ idea
The King has unveiled the first completed official portrait of himself since the coronation, which includes one detail Charles suggested should be added.
The portrait, by British artist Jonathan Yeo, was commissioned in 2020 to celebrate the then Prince of Wales’s 50 years as a member of The Drapers’ Company in 2022.
The portrait, which was unveiled yesterday at Buckingham Palace, depicts Charles wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards, of which he was made Regimental Colonel in 1975.
The uniform of the Welsh Guards inspired the colour red, which was painted over much of the portrait, as Yeo said he felt like this portrait should have more of a “dynamic and contemporary feel”.
A butterfly is hovering over the King’s shoulder in the portrait, which was added in by Yeo at Charles’s suggestion.
After the unveiling, Yeo said he would “love to take full credit for that” but it was “actually the subject’s idea”.
During a conversation with the King, Yeo said they discussed how it would be “nice to have a narrative element which referenced his passion for nature and environment” and he spoke of how Charles “changed jobs halfway through the process” and the butterfly is a “symbol of metamorphosis” so it “tells multiple stories”.
After Yeo’s speech, the King joked “it’s nice to know I was a chrysalis when you first met me,” which was met with laughter.
The Queen said she “hopes it is going to be seen by lots of people” after the unveiling.
The portrait will go on public display for a month at the Philip Mould Gallery in London, from May 16 until June 14. Entry is free.
The artwork is expected to be displayed at Drapers’ Hall from the end of August.