Social media recoils at ‘satanic’ depiction of 75-year-old British monarch.
King Charles III personally unveiled a peculiar self-portrait Tuesday that depicts him in a fiery setting, in what many are calling a demonic rendition.
Footage showed the British monarch briefly spooked by the bizarre painting as he pulled the drawstring to reveal his first portrait since his coronation.
Social media users commented the painting was eerie and ghastly, with some calling it an intentional callback to his Transylvanian bloodline.
Adrenochrome bath
— 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝕏 (@normposter) May 14, 2024
It’s the lowkey british version of dark Brandon. pic.twitter.com/lZqi9pxCkx
— Jas Rugbo (@JasRugbo) May 14, 2024
It looks disgusting. Truly a testimony to the fading of beauty and creativity that once existed in the West.
— Klaus Arminius (@Klaus_Arminius) May 14, 2024
Artist Jonathan Yeo explained the art, stating, “Much like the butterfly I’ve painted hovering over his shoulder, this portrait has evolved as the subject’s role in our public life has transformed.”
“My aim was also to make reference to the traditions of royal portraiture but in a way that reflects a 21st-century monarchy and, above all else, to communicate the subject’s deep humanity,” said Yeo, who has previously painted Charles’ father Prince Philip, actor Kevin Spacey, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The fiery theme may be apropos. For a refresher, Charles has previously bragged about being a descendent of Vlad the Impaler, the bloodthirsty Romanian warlord who reportedly inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula character.
