Animal rights group vandals target King Charles III portrait with Wallace and Gromit graffiti

A controversial portrait of the has been truly defaced, less than a month after it was revealed to the world.

A portrait of King Charles III has been defaced, less than a month after it was revealed to the world.

Animal rights protesters on Tuesday (local time) covered the official portrait with the face of the eccentric, cheese-loving animation character Wallace — of Wallace & Gromit — to campaign for better animal welfare on farms.

In a video shared by Animal Rising, two campaigners are seen sticking an image of Wallace over the 75-year-old monarch’s face and adding a speech bubble at a London gallery.

Activists aimed to raise awareness about practices at RSPCA certified farms during the protest.

Animal rights protesters covered a portrait of King Charles III with the face of Wallace, a character from the Wallace and Gromit animation, to campaign for better animal welfare on farms. Picture: AFP /Animal Rising

Jonathan Yeo’s striking red portrait of Charles is on display at the Philip Mould Gallery in London after being unveiled by the king himself last month.

The speech bubble pasted on Charles, who is an RSPCA patron, read: “No cheese, Gromit. Look at all this cruelty on RSPCA farms!” in a reference to Wallace’s faithful canine companion.

Animal Rising stated that the action aimed to bring attention to the group’s “damning investigation” into 45 RSPCA assured farms, referring to those establishments covered by the body’s scheme for maintaining animal welfare standards.

“The lighthearted act played on the king’s love of Wallace and Gromit and his status as Royal Patron” of the RSPCA, the group said in a post on X.

“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,”, said Daniel Juniper, who was involved in the stunt, according to the post.

The owner of the gallery, Philip Mould, indicated that the painting was “securely enclosed in its frame with protective layers” and that the sticker was only displayed for “10 to 15 seconds” before being removed by gallery staff.

The portrait, created by artist Jonathan Yeo, was unveiled at the Philip Mould Gallery in London and was briefly defaced with the image of Wallace. Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

A police report had been filed, he added, but no charges have yet been laid.

The RSPCA said it was “shocked by this vandalism” and added that concerns about farms certified by RSPCA Assured were being taken seriously.

Charles became a patron of the RSPCA in May this year. He has previously advocated against animal cruelty and banned foie gras in royal residences.

Foie gras is a high-priced gourmet French delicacy that comes from force-feeding young ducks (or geese) until their livers swell to eight or more times their natural size, which is considered cruelly-produced.

King Charles III portrait roasted after reveal

Charles hosted an unveiling ceremony for his new painting at Buckingham Palace on may 14.

When Charles removed the black cloak, he seemed surprised to find a red King staring back at him.

Queen Camilla reportedly approved and said, “Yes, you’ve got him,” to Yeo.

The reaction to the official portrait of King Charles III was mixed, with some criticising its appearance and others finding it unique and different. Picture: Aaron Chown-WPA Pool/Getty Images

In the portrait, His Majesty can be seen wearing the red uniform of the Welsh Guards while holding a sword, as a butterfly lingers above his shoulder.

Yeo was commissioned to paint the portrait in 2020 to celebrate the then Prince of Wales’ 50 years as a member of the charitable institution, The Drapers’ Company, in 2022.

The reception of Yeo’s work was brutal on social media – a top comment on X gave the simple yet punchy critique: “It is the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Another said “This new King Charles portrait looks like the poster for a truly nightmarish horror movie.”

King Charles III greets artist Jonathan Yeo at the unveiling of the portrait. Picture: Aaron Chown-WPA Pool/Getty Images

Another user offered a slightly more measured critique, writing, “I really like the portrait of King Charles by Jonathan Yeo – the go-to artist for slightly edgy but convincingly recognisable contemporary portraits; before photography, to have a great painter capture your real appearance you accepted the revelation of your flaws and your mortality. It’s what Yeo captures here.”

Meanwhile, local GB News host Nigel Farage, while presenting the news bulletin, described it as a “remarkable” picture.

“The uniform almost fades into the background, and what you see from the portrait is the face, the head, of the King.

“It is unusual, to say the least, but I really rather like it. It’s different.”

– With Lexie Cartwright