Activists from an animal rights group have vandalized the first official portrait of King Charles currently on display in a London gallery.
Campaign group Animal Rising posted a video on its social media channels on Tuesday showing two activists using a paint roller to stick two signs over the portrait of the monarch.
Members of the public have been free to visit the portrait of the monarch which is on display at the Philip Mould gallery in central London until June 15.
The painting, which is the first official portrait of King Charles as monarch, raised eyebrows when it was officially unveiled earlier this year. Artist Jonathon Yeo depicted the king against a background of crimson red brush strokes, sparking mixed reactions.
Activists covered the king’s head with a sign of British cartoon character, Wallace from the “Wallace and Gromit” comedy series. A speech bubble sign was then tacked onto the painting with the following caption: “No cheese Gromit, look at all of this cruelty on RSCPA farms.”
The action was designed to bring attention to the group’s report, released on Sunday, which it described as a “damning investigation” into 45 farms assured by animal welfare charity, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
On its website, Animal Rising describes itself as a non-violent organization, campaigning for an “urgent transition to a sustainable and just plant-based food system,” and says the RSPCA Assured scheme covers up “cruelty on an industrial scale.”
