ROYALS'He Approved That?': King Charles' 'Strange' Royal Portrait Leaves Fans Stunned
On Wednesday, November 1, celebrity painter Stuart Pearson Wright's London art show unveiled a portrait of King Charles that received an interesting response from fans. Wright is known for his theatrical and dramatic paintings of notable figures, but critics wondered if his technique was fit for a king.
King Charles is one of the many figures included in Stuart Pearson Wright's exhibit.
Wright's take on Charles' likeness included an exaggeration, and the monarch was depicted with an elongated face and nose — which is Wright's signature style. Despite Wright's pattern of using A-listers as his muses, X users shared their thoughts on the social media platform after the image was shared online.
"This is more of a caricature than a portrait," one person penned.
"That looks a bit strange," another wrote. Someone else asked, "Dear God. He approved that?"
During the unveiling of his portrait, King Charles was in Kenya.
While the public dissects the art piece, Charles is focused on his current royal tour of Kenya. OK! previously reported His Majesty landed in the British Commonwealth on Tuesday, October 31, and he didn't ignore Britain's colonial relationship with the East African nation.
"The wrongdoings of the past are a cause of the greatest sorrow and the deepest regret," Charles in his speech.
"There were abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence committed against Kenyans as they waged... a painful struggle for independence and sovereignty – and for that, there can be no excuse," His Majesty added.
King Charles discussed the colonial-era abuse during his time in Kenya.
Royal biographer Tom Bower discussed Charles' legacy within the commonwealth and the Kenyan Mau Mau rebellion.
“King Charles is not a natural diplomat or politician. I think he does struggle because he knows very well, of course, that terrible things happened during the Mau Mau period, but more Kenyans were murdered by Kenyans, many, many more than by the British," Bower said on GB News.
“It was all vastly exaggerated, the suffering caused by the British because it's the work of left-wing American academics who positively lied about what happened," the expert stated.
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Tom Bower questioned King Charles statesmanship.
The history of Britain's influence in Kenya continues to impact the global perception of the empire's role in the Commonwealth.
“Unfortunately, the Foreign Office bowed to this argument that Britain had been terrible during the colonial period," the author continued. “The whole thing has been completely turned on its head. The British have a hugely advantageous reputation still in Kenya to this day, because of the legacy of its imperial past."
Charles decided to acknowledge the colonial-era abuse, but his message might not overcompensate for the lack of time he spent in the region during his tenure as the Prince of Wales.
“He liked going to India, but he avoided Africa because just didn't find it culturally that interesting, whereas he was very interested in the culture of India," Bower shared.
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Ultimately, Charles' lack of enthusiasm could threaten the stability of the Commonwealth.
“And the real truth is, Camilla doesn’t like traveling long distances," the writer continued. "I think he does find it very difficult now; It doesn't look as if he's enjoying the job, having waited so long for it. But in the end, the Commonwealth will fall apart unless he works hard at it."
