Animal Rights Activists Smash King Charles’ Portrait with Wallace Sticker
In a cheeky and shocking stunt, animal rights campaigners slapped a giant Wallace face sticker over King Charles’ official portrait. The artwork, painted by Jonathan Yeo and unveiled at the Philip Mould Gallery in central London, now features the beloved animated character from the iconic British stop-motion series Wallace and Gromit instead of the monarch’s face.
Message Hits Home with RSPCA Critique
The altered portrait includes a speech bubble declaring, “No cheese, Gromit. Look at all this cruelty on RSPCA farms.” This direct jab targets the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), an organisation the King officially supports as Royal Patron.
Animal Rising, the activist group behind the prank, said the stunt was meant to spotlight alleged animal suffering on RSPCA-approved farms. Daniel Juniper, one of the activists, said,
“We hope this brings a smile to His Majesty, but we urge him to seriously rethink his ties to the terrible cruelty happening on farms endorsed by the 1.”
Activists Demand King Charles Pull Support for RSPCA Scheme
The group’s website presses the King to act, pushing the RSPCA to scrap its current ethical food labelling scheme. They argue that footage from 45 RSPCA-certified farms reveals there’s no truly humane way to farm animals. Spokeswoman Orla Coghlan compared the RSPCA’s tactics to the devious penguin villain Feathers McGraw from Wallace and Gromit, adding,
“The RSPCA is tricking the British public into believing these factory farms offer acceptable conditions for animals.”
The King’s Portrait and a Royal Dilemma
The original portrait shows King Charles dressed in his Welsh Guards uniform, a regiment he’s led since 1975. Commissioned in 2020 to mark his 50 years with The Draper’s Company, the artwork was painted during sittings at Highgrove and Clarence House.
Now, the King faces a tricky choice — will he stick by the RSPCA or respond to calls for change from the activists? The clash of royal portraiture, guerrilla activism, and beloved animation has thrust animal welfare into the spotlight. All eyes are on King Charles as the public waits for his next move.
