Activists from an animal rights group have vandalized the first official portrait of King Charles, currently on display in a London gallery.
On Tuesday, June 11, the campaign group Animal Rising posted a video on its social media channels showing two activists using a paint roller to stick signs over the portrait of the monarch.
The portrait, displayed at the Philip Mould Gallery in central London, is open for public viewing until June 21.
Activists covered the king’s head with an image of the UK cartoon character Wallace from the “Wallace and Gromit” comedy series. A speech bubble sign was also tacked onto the painting, reading: “No cheese Gromit, look at all of this cruelty on RSPCA farms.”
The action aimed to highlight a new report released on Sunday by the group, which investigated 45 farms with welfare standards guaranteed by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). The RSPCA’s Assured scheme promises more living space for animals and no cages. Meat, fish, and dairy products from these farms bear the RSPCA logo. Animal Rising called their findings “damning,” alleging “severe animal cruelty” at all the farms visited.
Last month, King Charles became the royal patron of the RSPCA.
An Animal Rising activist told The Telegraph, “With King Charles being such a big fan of ‘Wallace and Gromit,’ we couldn’t think of a better way to draw his attention to the horrific scenes on RSPCA Assured farms! Even though we hope this is amusing to His Majesty, we also call on him to seriously reconsider if he wants to be associated with the awful suffering across farms being endorsed by the RSPCA.”
The first official portrait of King Charles as monarch, unveiled earlier this year, raised eyebrows. In the painting, artist Jonathan Yeo depicted the king against a background of crimson blood strokes, sparking mixed reactions.
