Animal rights activists on Tuesday vandalised a portrait of King Charles III at a London art gallery where it’s on display. The protesters pasted stickers from a famous British animation franchise on the glass covering the portrait, and the painting itself wasn’t harmed.
The painting is the first official portrait of the British royal since his coronation, and was unveiled last month. It has been painted by British artist Jonathan Yeo.
The protest sought to highlight what the activists described as cruel conditions prevailing at farms accredited by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), a charity of which King Charles is a patron. An ‘RSPCA Assured’ label on animal food products is meant to convey high standards of upkeep for farm animals.
The activists were members of the group ‘Animal Rising’, which published an investigation last week alleging animal cruelty and suffering at 45 RSPCA-accredited farms, The Guardian reported. The RSPCA has said it is looking into the allegations.
A video posted by Animal Rising shows two activists pasting a sticker of the cartoon character Wallace on the face of king Charles. A bubble-dialogue sticker pasted alongside reads: “No cheese Gromit, look at all this cruelty on RSPCA farms.”
BBC reported that the gallery did not press any charges against the activists since the protesters did not do any harm.
The painting has been in the news since it was unveiled, with its fiery red colour scheme becoming a social media talking point. The portrait shows a butterfly flying near King Charles’s shoulder as his hands rest on the hilt of the sword. It is currently on display at the Philip Mould Gallery for free viewing by the public, BBC reported.