Picture of health

King unveils his first portrait

- RUSSELL MYERS

THE King unveiled a striking portrait of himself yesterday as royal sources said he is filling his diary to make up for lost time.

Charles, who recently returned to public duties after cancer treatment, marvelled at the depiction of his "metamorphosis" from prince to monarch by Britain's leading portrait artist Jonathan Yeo.

The King sat for the painter four times, with Yeo also working from photos to finish the first painting of him since the Coronation.

The 8ft 6in by 6ft 6in oil on canvas was commissioned in 2020 to celebrate Charles' 50 years as a member of The Drapers' Company.

By the time it was finished at the end of last year, he was King. The official unveiling took place in The Blue Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace.

As Charles pulled the giant red bow holding up a black covering, he laughed and said: "Christ!" but quickly qualified with "I wondered what the frame was going to be like. It is remarkable, actually, how it has turned out."

BUTTERFLY