King Charles’ First Official Portrait Receives Harsh Criticism

King Charles unveiled the first official portrait of his reign this week.

And to say that the reaction has been mixed would be putting it very, very mildly.

Artist Jonathan Yeo took an unusual approach to his regal subject, depicting Charles in an array of reddish hues that reminded some observers of the fires of hell.

King Charles’ First Official Portrait Baffles Internet

“Who approved King Charles III’s new portrait cuz it looks like he’s in hell?!” one user posted to X (formerly Twitter), according to TMZ.

Several observers noted that Charles looked “villainous” in the painting.

Others complained that he appeared to be drenched in blood. And a surprisingly large contingent of weirdos are convinced that there’s an openly “satanic” quality to the portrait.

Needless to say, this is probably not the sort of reception that Charles was hoping for for his very first portrait as king.

Dark Times For the Royal Family

The strange portrait and the negative response to it come at a time when the royals are already dealing with a tremendous amount of strife.

In February, we learned that King Charles has been diagnosed with cancer.

Little is known about his condition. But it’s been widely rumored that Charles’ treatment is not going as well as his doctors had hoped.

Some outlets have even gone so far as to report that Charles only has two years to live.

Charles was able to return to royal duty last month, but there are still grave concerns about his condition.

Kate Middleton Is Also Battling Cancer

Shortly after palace officials announced Charles’ condition, we learned that Kate Middleton is also battling cancer.

Thankfully, Kate is believed to be on the mend. Still, there’s no denying that this is an extremely difficult time for the royals.

Obviously, none of this has anything to do with Charles’ bizarre portrait.

But as many have pointed out, this would have been a good time to unveil a painting that might inspire hope and optimism among the British people.

Instead, the royals went with this strange depiction of Charles as Vigo the Carpathian from Ghostbusters II.

Those who know him best say that King Charles is very concerned about his legacy and the manner in which he’ll be remembered — which makes this highly unusual official portrait all the more baffling.