King Charles New Portrait Compared To 'Satan In Hell'; Dubbed 'Ugliest Thing' Ever Seen
King Charles III's newly unveiled portrait is going viral on social media for all the wrong reasons, drawing comparisons to "Satan in hell."
The British monarch became a trending topic on X, formerly Twitter, Tuesday after his first official portrait as king was unveiled at Buckingham Palace and hit the internet.
The fiery painting by Jonathan Yeo showed King Charles in the red uniform of the Welsh Guards standing against a background of similar hues, as seen on a post on the royal family's official Instagram account.
In the portrait, Prince William and Prince Harry's father could be seen with a sword in hand as a butterfly hovered above his shoulder.
The portrait, however, divided the internet, with some social media users claiming that it looked "creepy," "evil," and "Satanic" and made King Charles look like he was "Satan in hell."
The first painted portrait of King Charles III has been unveiled at Buckingham Palace.
— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) May 14, 2024
The piece was painted by British artist Jonathan Yeo, who has previously painted Kevin Spacey, Tony Blair, and Prince Philip.
Queen Camilla's reaction to the unveiling of the painting was,… pic.twitter.com/PZw9veHWo4
"I'm sorry, but his portrait looks like he's in hell," one Instagram user commented, while an X user claimed it appeared to depict the monarch "covered in blood."
"The dude who painted that thing must really ... really, really dislike him!" another suggested.
"Who approved King Charles III's new portrait [because] it looks like he's in hell?!" a third X user asked.
Another person even called the painting "the ugliest thing I have ever seen."
But others praised the portrait, saying it perfectly captured King Charles and the monarchy's role in the modern world.
"A terrific portrait. right down to the monarch butterfly on his shoulder. In keeping with tradition, yet casting it aside. Bravo to Jonathan Yeo!" one person praised.
"A perfect depiction of King Charles: at risk of being consumed in a sea of (violent, dangerous, red) modernism, His Majesty nevertheless emerges as an emblem of tradition. The regalia have lost some definition, but the face and hands -- the man -- remain clear," another commented.
"I think this is beautiful and such a break from the traditional portraits," another royal fan commented on Instagram.
In 2020, King Charles commissioned the painting to mark 50 years as a member of The Draper's Company in 2022.
The portrait, which is Charles' first since his coronation in May 2023, was completed last year after four sittings that began in 2021.
In a statement shared via the royal family's Instagram account, Yeo said, "I do my best to capture the life experiences and humanity etched into any individual sitter’s face, and I hope that is what I have achieved in this portrait. To try and capture that for His Majesty The King, who occupies such a unique role, was both a tremendous professional challenge, and one which I thoroughly enjoyed and am immensely grateful for.”
After seeing the portrait of King Charles, his wife, Queen Camilla, reportedly told Yeo: "Yes, you've got him," according to the BBC.
Yeo also shared King Charles' reaction to seeing the portrait in its "half-done state."
"He was initially mildly surprised by the strong colour but otherwise he seemed to be smiling approvingly," the artist said, the outlet reported.
Yeo also painted portraits for Prince Philip, Queen Camilla, Malala Yousafzai, Tony Blair, David Cameron, and Sir David Attenborough, among others.
