Activists Vandalize Portrait of King Charles III at London Gallery

In a dramatic protest on Tuesday, animal rights activists targeted a newly unveiled portrait of King Charles III at a London gallery. The two men involved, reportedly from the group Animal Rising, were captured on video as they defaced the artwork.

They pasted an image of Wallace from the beloved cartoon "Wallace and Gromit" over the king's face and added a speech bubble reading, "No cheese Gromit, look at all this cruelty on RSPCA farms!"

The portrait, painted by renowned British artist Jonathan Yeo, was unveiled just last month and has since received mixed reviews from the public and critics alike. Displayed at the Philip Mould Gallery in London, the artwork shows King Charles with a butterfly perched on his right shoulder against a vivid red background.

Some social media users reacted strongly to the image, with one remarking that it looked as though the king was "bathing in blood," and another calling it "the worst royal portrait I've ever seen."

‼️BREAKING: No Cheese Gromit! King Charles Portrait Redecorated‼️ @RoyalFamily

‼️Find out why King Charles, Patron of the RSPCA should ask them to drop the Assured Scheme -> https://t.co/KTZwbikAaV 👈 pic.twitter.com/3pbemlZCE0

— Animal Rising (@AnimalRising) June 11, 2024

The activist group Animal Rising quickly claimed responsibility for the vandalism through social media posts. They linked the act to their recent report on the "RSPCA Assured" label, which is intended to indicate products that meet high animal welfare standards. According to the group, their investigation into 45 farms in Britain carrying this certification revealed instances of poor animal welfare on each farm.

Animal Rising is now calling on King Charles to withdraw his support for the RSPCA, a charity of which he is a royal patron. The group argues that their findings show significant issues with the RSPCA Assured certification, urging the king to reconsider his endorsement of the organization.