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The first official portrait of King Charles was unveiled at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace this week, but the striking artwork has received a mixed reaction online.
One X user likened the image to the toughest boss in FromSoftware’s action RPG Elden Ring and it’s not difficult to see why.
On Tuesday (May 14), the monarch stood alongside Queen Camilla and the artist, Jonathon Yeo, to pull down a massive drape which had covered the portrait for the reveal. The painting, his first as King since his coronation last year, depicts Charles in the crimson uniform of the Welsh Guards, but it is overlayed by further, plentiful strokes of red hues.
Yeo described his creation with the inclusion of the butterfly as a “symbol of metamorphosis and rebirth,” also intended to provide “a visual contrast to the military steeliness of the uniform and sword”.
A butterfly is prevalent on the King’s shoulder, but that is another detail only visible from close range in what is a complex, layered design. This is not a traditional royal portrait which is why it lends itself to the realms of gaming.
King Charles III unveils first official portrait since coronation, receives mixed responsehttps://t.co/c5hGiRu6Gw pic.twitter.com/z8hxaHJCJV
— TIME (@TIME) May 15, 2024
King Charles’s portrait reaches to Dark Souls III
Away from the pleasantries and the pageantry, the reaction from some in the gaming world was less than complimentary or flattering.
New Elden Ring art just dropped pic.twitter.com/WjgvYEMq0e
— Josh Scherr (@joshscherr) May 14, 2024
Another X user stated the portrait wouldn’t look out of place in Doom’s classic picture walls, while there was a different, recollection of Bethesda Softworks’ stealth action-adventure game Dishonored, with the King’s portrait stolen by Corvo, and worse.
https://t.co/wrMZQHYqwH pic.twitter.com/hqeEXopvwj
— Andrey Mironov (@andrey_magnus) May 15, 2024
Kotaku stated, ‘Most have noted the similarities to Elden Ring’s Volcano Hall, which similarly prominently displays a portrait of a creepy ruler. To be frank, the painting resembles the painting world of Ariandel from Dark Souls III, and looks like a gateway to DLC for FromSoftware’s games.”
Image credit: Royal Family/X
