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Netizens React To The Official Portrait Of King Charles III With Jokes, Memes & Discussion

"A literal tampon."

Cover image via Reuters (edited by SAYS)

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The first official portrait of King Charles III was unveiled at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, 14 May, and the Internet has thoughts

Commissioned by the palace, the portrait depicts Charles in the Welsh Guards military uniform amid vivid red hues, with a single butterfly above his right shoulder.

"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," said artist Jonathan Yeo.

Image via Reuters

As the portrait made its rounds on social media, comments streamed in expressing similar sentiments

Many of the top comments across different sites mentioned that the portrait evoked a sense of blood and warfare.

Image via Instagram

Meanwhile, others felt the red hues looked like the King was surrounded by fire

Image via Instagram

For many, it triggered a memory of #tampongate and they flooded the comments section with jokes about the sanitary product

Image via Instagram

For the uninitiated, back in the early '90s, the British press published a private phone conversation between then-Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles.

The published transcript revealed that Charles wanted to "live inside [Camilla's] trousers", and he jokingly added that he wanted to be her tampon. 

However, many shared their love of the painting and defended the monarchy

Image via Instagram

Fans of the artwork also discussed the meaning behind the butterfly in the painting

Image via Instagram

And, of course, the memes keep rolling in

From Bram Stoker's Dracula and Star Wars, to deep dish pizza and rhubarb pie, the Internet is having a field day.

Image via Emma Tolkin (X)

When all's said and done, art is meant to spark discussion and evoke feelings. So, what do you think of the portrait?

Image via Reuters

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