Much like The Emperor’s New Clothes, where the tailor exposes the vanity of his ruler, the unveiling this week of Jonathan Yeo’s portrait of King Charles III has been very … revealing.
The portrait has been met with both gasps of astonishment and ridicule throughout the world, as well as the expected praise. The dramatic red wash has been the subject of considerable discussion across news outlets and social feeds: Some have suggested the scarlet hue is Dante’s Inferno, the “flesh & blood of all murderd [sic] by the Empire’s bloodlust,” or reminiscent of a literal bloodbath.
The artist insists: “The vivid colour of the glazes in the background echo the uniform’s bright red tunic, not only resonating with the royal heritage found in many historical portraits but also injecting a dynamic, contemporary jolt into the genre with its uniformly powerful hue / providing a modern contrast to more traditional depictions.”
Fair, though it’s easy to understand why so many have been so critical.
The U.K. is currently in a recession, with an ongoing cost of living crisis that’s left people struggling to pay their bills and feed their families. Jobs are being cut, and the British bank has raised interest rates. This week saw the launch of the Labour party’s Six Big Pledges, listing the need for more teachers, shorter NHS waiting lists, a publicly owned energy institution and economic stability.
The royal family costs taxpayers £86.3 million ($109.6 million) each year. How do families struggling to pay their heating bills feel about this portrait? It’s no wonder many are seeing red.
May 2024 marks the first year of the reign of King Charles III—a year marked by illness, the story of his first marriage (fictional or true) being shared to all Netflix subscribers, and his family still working out what to do with their black sheep Prince Andrew, all taking place under the pall cast by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s defection.