Jonathan Yeo, the artist behind the fiery red portrait of King Charles, responded to the wave of conspiracy theories following its unveiling. This first official portrait of Charles since his coronation was revealed at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, May 14, with the King himself drawing back the curtain as Yeo watched.
The painting quickly stirred a buzz online, with art critics and social media users split over its interpretation and generating wild theories about the royals.
“My [17-year-old] daughter was all too eager to show me the wild things being said about the painting on TikTok,” Yeo told The Sunday Times. “She’s had the time of her life with all the conspiracies, calling me a Satanist and Illuminati member.”
Yeo, who was astonished by the reactions to his artwork, shared his thoughts on the debate it sparked. He explained his choice of the red color, aiming to shift focus from the bright red uniform of the Guards.
“It’s oddly comforting to see a painted portrait still provoke such discussion in our image-saturated world,” Yeo wrote on Instagram.
“For anyone who hasn’t yet come up with their own wild interpretation, feel free to add one in the comments below. The most original one might just win a copy of The Da Vinci Code.”
