King Charles first official portrait is vandalised by animal rights activists: Two Animal Rising protesters cover monarch’s face with Wallace and Gromit image and stick on speech bubble message about ‘cruelty on RSPCA farms’

Animal Rising fanatics have vandalized the new portrait of King Charles at the Philip Mold gallery in London.

At around 12pm, two campaigners pasted posters of Wallace and Gromit attacking the RSPCA over His Majesty’s face.

One poster was of Wallace’s face and the other was a speech bubble that read, “No cheese, Gromit.” Look at all this cruelty on RSPCA farms!’

The group is calling on King Charles to suspend his support for the charity, of which he is the royal patron, until they drop the Assured Scheme – which is in place to protect animal welfare standards.

Daniel Juniper, one of those involved, said: ‘As King Charles is such a big fan of Wallace and Gromit, we couldn’t think of a better way to draw his attention to the horrific scenes on RSPCA Assured farms.

‘Whilst we hope this is amusing to His Majesty, we also call on him to seriously reconsider whether he wants to be associated with the terrible suffering on farms endorsed by the RSPCA.

‘Charles has made it clear that he is sensitive to the suffering of animals on British farms; now is the perfect time for him to step up and call on the RSPCA to drop the Assured Scheme and tell the truth about livestock farming.”

Mr Juniper previously told VegFest: ‘I believe in fighting for animals and the climate and will stop at nothing until we have a kind, livable, sustainable future for all life’

The move is an attempt by the group to raise awareness of their recent investigation into 45 RSPCA Assured farms, where they reportedly found 280 statutory breaches and 94 breaches of DEFRA regulations.

The activists claim to have found animal abuse and suffering on every farm, including alleged scenes of dead and dying baby chickens, dead pigs left in farm walkways and salmon being eaten alive by sea lice.

Orla Coghlan, spokesperson for Animal Rising, said: ‘Just as Feathers McGraw fooled Wallace into robbing a bank, the RSPCA has fooled the British public into thinking that their factory farming industry is – in any way – a acceptable place for animals to live.

‘It is clear from the scenes on 45 RSPCA Assured farms that there is no kind way to keep animals.

‘The RSPCA must take a stronger position on the transition to a plant-based food system, starting with calls for drastic meat reduction. The charity can once again lead the way for animals in Britain, rather than keeping them in misery.”

Animal Rising caused chaos in April when they stormed the Scottish Grand National. The track at Ayr Racecourse was infiltrated by 24 protesters who were later charged.

The campaign group is an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion and posted the following before the £200,000 race: ‘Twenty-five Animal Rising supporters have taken to the Scottish Grand National circuit to harm and protect their bodies. animals.

“They are trying to cling to jumps and fences to cancel the big race.

‘This afternoon, 8-year-old Oscar Elite died at exactly the same circuit. We are taking action today with them in our hearts.

‘A horse dies every day racing in Britain. We are here to protect horses by saying NO to this barbaric ‘sport’.

‘There are plenty of other things we can do on a Saturday afternoon that don’t involve watching animals being harmed.

“Last week at Aintree was just the beginning. The summer of Animal Rising is just around the corner.”

But the disruption did not delay the event and the 18-horse race was won by racehorse Kitty’s Light.

King Charles became the Royal Patron of the RSPCA last month, with the charity citing his ‘enormous passion for nature and regenerative agriculture and his continued support for the RSPCA and the future of animal welfare’ after the announcement.

It adds that while there is no specific job description for the position, which Queen Victoria first held in 1840, ‘they play a vital role in recognizing and promoting the contributions and achievements of charities such as the RSPCA’.

The charity’s Assured program includes six commitments to promote animal welfare. Insured farms must never place livestock in cages, provide a “physically and mentally stimulating environment,” allow their animals to be humanely slaughtered, provide more living space for animals, use antibiotics responsibly and be traceable from the food they produce.

The King’s painting, by renowned artist Jonathan Yeo, was created in 2020 to celebrate the then Prince of Wales’s 50th anniversary as a member of The Drapers’ Company.

It shows His Majesty in the uniform of the Welsh Guards, of which he was appointed regimental colonel in 1975.

Yeo spoke of a butterfly in the portrait that echoed Charles’ “metamorphosis” from prince to king during the process – and the monarch joked that it was nice to know he was a chrysalis. But it was also a reflection of his lifelong commitment to the environment.

The canvas size – approximately 2.5 by 1.8 meters framed – was carefully considered to fit within the architecture of Drapers’ Hall and the context of the paintings it will eventually hang alongside, but it is currently on display at London’s Philip Mold Gallery.