King Charles' portrait for public buildings sparks criticism over its nonsensical cost
Charles official photo (Cabinet Office)
A new official portrait of King Charles is now ready to be put up in public buildings all over the UK. The government spent £8 million on this project, sparkling dissatisfaction for some who consider it a waste of money, according to The Guardian.
The new picture shows the king in his Royal Navy uniform, standing in a corridor at Windsor Castle, holding a sword with one hand and resting the other on a table with white gloves.
The government said that it would give a free portrait of King Charles to all sorts of public places like councils, courts, schools, police stations, and fire departments. The photo was taken by photographer Hugo Burnand, who also took pictures of the king and queen's crowning ceremony and their wedding in 2005.
Earlier, many public places had pictures of Queen Elizabeth II. Now, the government aims to replace them with pictures of King Charles III to keep up the tradition.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Oliver Dowden, thinks it is important as it reminds everyone about the king and shows respect for his time of reign.
“Displaying this new portrait will serve as a reminder to us all of the example set by our ultimate public servant and I hope as many eligible organizations as possible will wish to continue this proud British tradition and honor our king’s reign,” he said.
However, some citizens do not like the idea as they believe that the government should not be spending money on pictures while other important things need funding, like schools and hospitals. The head of the Republic group that opposes the monarchy, Graham Smith, believes it is nonsense.
“At a time when a majority of local councils are raising taxes and cutting public services, when schools and hospitals are struggling, to spend even £1 on this nonsense would be too much,” he said.
The photo also sparks an ironic reaction from National Education Union head Daniel Kebede. "Out of glue sticks? Leaky roof? Damp entering through that cracked window frame? What your school needs is a picture of King Charles printed on 'high quality' paper," he posted on X.
We also reported that this year, King Charles delivered his Christmas speech from a Buckingham Palace room near a replantable Christmas tree with sustainable decorations, aiming to advocate for environmental protection.
