The butterfly located above Charles' shoulder in the painting is described as being representative of not only the king's transformation to monarch, but also his passion for environmental causes.

The intense red color that covers the majority of the canvas marks a departure from the customs of royal portraiture. On his website, Yeo writes that he wanted to inject a “dynamic, contemporary jolt into the genre with its uniformly powerful hue … providing a modern contrast to more traditional depictions.”

This week, the first official portrait of King Charles III as King was unveiled at Buckingham Palace, and the red painting by the artist Jonathan Yeo has evoked strong feelings from the public, ranging from awe to disgust, so we have called British journalist, artist and royal watcher, Bidisha Mamata.

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