The official royal portrait of King Charles has been revealed, painted by artist Jonathon Yeo.
It’s his first portrait as King since his coronation last year.
The painting is covered in a bright red colour, and features a butterfly on the King’s shoulder.
So what is the story behind the vibrant painting and why do royals have painted portraits? Read on to find out more.
How the King’s portrait was made
Jonathon Yeo was chosen to do the portrait – he’s done paintings of lots of other famous figures, including Sir David Attenborough and Malala Yousafzai.
The artist said he wanted to make a break with the past. This means he wanted to paint something slightly different to other, more traditional paintings of monarchs.
This is why he used a bright red colour throughout the painting.
What does the portrait tell us about King Charles?
When looking at the picture you might notice something else – a butterfly on the King’s shoulder.
This was actually the King’s idea – he suggested it to artist Jonathon Yeo when they met up to discuss how the painting was going to look.
The artist says the butterfly represents the King’s care for nature and the environment. He says it’s also about new life and starting a new era for the royal family.
Yeo had asked the King what “clues” he wanted to give about himself in the painting to future schoolchildren studying the kings and queens of the past.
His family seemed pretty impressed with it – Queen Camilla took a look and said “Yes, you’ve got him”. The King also gave his nod of approval.
Resource: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/69010775.amp
