King Charles III unveiled first official portrait since his coronation at the Buckingham Palace. Photos: PTI/AFP
The larger-than-life painting by artist Jonathan Yeo captures the king with his hands clasped atop the hilt of his sword and a butterfly flitting above his right shoulder.
Yeo began the portrait more than a year before Charles became king, with a sitting at the then-Prince of Wales' Highgrove estate in June 2021.
The last sitting took place in November 2023 at Clarence House, one of the king's residences in London.
This photograph taken on May 16 shows the face of King Charles III as depicted in his official portrait by Yeo. It is now displayed at the Philip Mould gallery, on Pall Mall, central London, following its official unveiling two days ago.
The official portrait was commissioned in 2020 to celebrate the then Prince of Wales's 50 years as a member of The Drapers' Company in 2022. Yeo also worked from drawings and photography he took, allowing him to work on the portrait in his London studio between sittings.
The canvas size - approximately 8.5 by 6.5 feet when framed - was carefully considered to fit within the architecture of Drapers' Hall and the context of the paintings it will eventually hang alongside.
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