King Charles first official portrait as monarch unveiled at Buckingham Palace

King Charles III's first official painted portrait since his coronation has been unveiled at Buckingham Palace.

The 75-year-old King unveiled the portrait at the Palace. The new work depicts the monarch in the uniform of the Welsh Guards, of which he was made Regimental Colonel in 1975.

The vivid red work, measuring 8ft 15in by 6ft 15in, shows the King with sword in hand and a butterfly on his shoulder.

Jonathan Yeo, who painted the monarch's portrait, said he wanted to "minimise the visual distractions and allow people to connect with the human being underneath"

The royal family and Jonathan Yeo jointly shared the iconic painting on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) Tuesday with lengthy note to describe the portrait's significance, stating: "It was a privilege and pleasure to have been commissioned by The Drapers’ Company to paint this portrait of His Majesty The King, the first to be unveiled since his Coronation.

"When I started this project, His Majesty The King was still His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, and much like the butterfly I’ve painted hovering over his shoulder, this portrait has evolved as the subject’s role in our public life has transformed. 

"I do my best to capture the life experiences and humanity etched into any individual sitter’s face, and I hope that is what I have achieved in this portrait. 

To try and capture that for His Majesty The King, who occupies such a unique role, was both a tremendous professional challenge, and one which I thoroughly enjoyed and am immensely grateful for."

The vast oil on canvas shows a larger-than-life King Charles in the uniform of the Welsh Guards. The painting will ultimately hang in Drapers’ Hall in London.

The vivid red work, measuring 8ft 15in by 6ft 15in, is by Jonathan Yeo, who has also painted Tony Blair, Sir David Attenborough and Malala Yousafzai.

Queen Camilla is said to have looked at the painting and told Yeo: "Yes, you've got him."

Jonathan Yeo - who has also painted Tony Blair, Sir David Attenborough and Malala Yousafzai - joked: "If this was seen as treasonous, I could literally pay for it with my head, which would be an appropriate way for a portrait painter to die - to have their head removed!"