Animal rights activists vandalise King Charles’ portrait in London gallery

Activists from an animal rights group vandalized the first official portrait of King Charles, which is on display in a London gallery.

The group, Animal Rising, posted a video on its social media on Tuesday showing two activists using a paint roller to attach signs to the portrait. The public can visit the portrait at the Philip Mould gallery in central London until June 21.

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The painting, the first official portrait of King Charles as monarch, was revealed earlier this year. Artist Jonathon Yeo painted the king against a background of crimson red brush strokes, causing mixed reactions. Activists covered the king’s head with an image of Wallace, a character from the “Wallace and Gromit” comedy series. They also added a speech bubble saying: “No cheese Gromit, look at all of this cruelty on RSPCA farms.”

This action aimed to draw attention to a new report by the group, released on Sunday, which investigated 45 farms with welfare standards guaranteed by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).