Two new portraits celebrating the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla in 2023 have finally been revealed at the National Gallery — and people all seem to be saying the same thing.
Charles’ painting was done by Peter Kuhfeld, an artist who has worked with him for many years and even painted Princes William and Harry when they were kids. Camilla, now 77, was painted by artist Paul Benny.
After the buzz and backlash around Charles’ first official portrait by Jonathan Yeo, which was shown in 2024, royal fans were clearly excited to see the newest portraits — officially made public today (6 May).
However, it’s clear that not everyone was happy with the new portrait of 76-year-old King Charles. Many people took to social media to say it looked “blurry” and wasn’t nearly as good as Queen Camilla’s.
One user on X wrote: “Charles’s portrait looks like a Wallace and Grommet [sic] character – you can imagine it hanging in Wallace’s house. Camilla’s portrait is lovely.”
Another added: “His face is very blurry. Camilla’s portrait was giving more presence and depth than Charles’s.”
A third person joked: “King Charles portrait looks like he’s from 1700s lol.”
People online had mixed reactions to the new royal portraits.
One person commented: “The Queen’s is perfect. The King’s too blurry,” and someone else agreed, saying: “Looks blurry. Out of focus.”
Another added: “Comparing the portraits of King and Queen, I think she’s come out of it much better than he has. There’s something a little underwhelming about his portrait, as if he’s shrinking into the background. There’s a bit more forthright glamour about hers!”
Others felt the same way. “I think Camilla’s is much better,” one person said, while another remarked: “Compared to the level of detail in previous ones, King Charles’ portrait looks… cheap. Lighting and composition are good, though.”
One more person gave their thoughts on the King’s pose: “In regards to body language I think the artist could have chosen a different posture.”
One final user on X commented sadly: “I think the King should have gone with the same artist as the Queen!”
Artist Jonathan Yeo Kuhfeld, who painted the King, said: “I think he was pleased. It’s a very odd thing for a sitter to look at themselves, I just hope that I’ve got an aspect of the man and King, I just think that’s very important.”
He worked on the portrait for over 18 months after having five sessions with the King.
Both portraits are full-length. The King is shown standing in the throne room at St James’s Palace, while the Queen Consort’s portrait is set in the garden room of Clarence House, their London residence.