Every public body throughout the United Kingdom has the chance to get an official portrait of King Charles III through an £8 million ($10 million) program. However the initiative, funded by the cabinet office ministerial department, has come under scrutiny.
Announced last April, the initiative received backlash on social media as a “shameful waste of money” by the anti-monarch group Republic, pointing to the dire need in England for better-funded social services.
The initiative includes institutions such as local authorities, courts, schools, and rescue services. Those eligible can apply to receive the new portrait.
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“The UK government considers it right that public authorities, as part of the fabric of our nation, have the opportunity to commemorate this moment, strengthen civil pride and reflect the new era in our history,” said deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden in a statement. Since the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, monarch portraits have been produced to give the firm a “human face”, a spokesperson for the cabinet office told the Art Newspaper.
The portrait in question was taken by photographer Hugo Burnand at Windsor Castle last year. In it, the monarch is clad in an admiral of the fleet uniform with medals and decorations.
This kind of state-wide program is hardly new—the tradition dates to antiquity with emperor’s faces, initials, and crests plastered on coinage and other memorabilia around their respective empire. For his part, King Charles is well-known for his interest in painting and support of the arts.