King Charles Unveils First Portrait as King After Troubling Health Update
King Charles III
King Charles III is showcasing his first-ever portrait since being coronated as king, and the pleasant news comes mere hours after he shared a rather unsettling update amid his ongoing cancer treatment.
The painting was commissioned from artist Jonathan Yeo in 2020 to celebrate the then-Prince of Wales' 50 years as a member of The Drapers' Company, according to a The Daily Mail report.
The artwork portrays Charles in the regal uniform of the Welsh Guards, which he was made Regimental Colonel in 1975.
"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," a statement accompanying the portrait reveal on the royal family's social media account noted.
"People often say is there a secret to doing a good portrait? And I say I don't know really. Actually I think there is one, and that's having an interesting subject to start with. And you couldn't ask for a better one than this, other than Her Majesty," Yeo said while chatting about the new piece on display at Buckingham Palace, per the outlet.
The portrait unveiling comes exactly one day after the 75-year-old monarch offered a rare glimpse into his ongoing treatment for an unspecified type of cancer he was diagnosed with earlier this year.
While visiting the Army Flying Museum in Middle Wallop, Hampshire, to officially handover one of his military titles to Prince William on Monday, May 13, the king described a rather unpleasant experience he's reportedly had to overcome, which he's credited as nothing more than a side effect from treatment of the disease.
During yesterday's visit, Charles explained he's lost his sense of taste. The king declined to explain whether or not experts have told him to expect this to be a temporary issue or a permanent by-product of the medical care.
Still, he hasn't let that stop him from resuming his royal duties after taking some time off to assess his diagnosis.
Charles' first royal outing since stepping back into his position full-time took place on April 30, when he was photographed visiting cancer patients and medical staff at the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre in London. Joining him for the event was his wife, Queen Camilla.
