'No cheese, Gromit': Animal activists vandalise King Charles III's first official portrait. Watch!

Animal rights activists in the UK, on Tuesday (June 12), defaced the portrait of British King Charles III. This was his first official portrait since he ascended to the throne. 

The activists covered his face with an image of the animated character 'Wallace' from the "Wallace and Gromit" series, along with a speech bubble that read: "No cheese, Gromit. Look at all this cruelty on RSPCA farms!".

Who is behind the act?

Campaign group Animal Rising has taken responsibility for this act which was aimed at protesting animal welfare standards on farms certified by the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), an animal charity of which Charles is a patron.

Footage released by Animal Rising show two supporters entering London's Philip Mould gallery and covering the king's face on the portrait with the cartoon image and adding the speech bubble.

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The activists intended to draw attention to what they perceive as cruelty on RSPCA "Assured" farms, which are supposed to adhere to higher welfare standards.

Daniel Juniper, one of the activists involved in the portrait protest, expressed his rationale in a statement on the group's website. He said, "With King Charles being 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." 

He urged the king to "seriously reconsider if he wants to be associated with the awful suffering across farms being endorsed by the RSPCA."

What did the RSPCA say about this?

The RSPCA has responded with disapproval of the act. In a statement, the animal welfare organisation said that they are "shocked by this vandalism of His Majesty King, our Patron's, portrait."

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A spokesperson for the organisation said that while they "welcome scrutiny", they "cannot condone illegal activity of any kind."

The charity emphasised that it takes allegations regarding its certified farms seriously.

A pattern emerges: Art vs Activism

This latest incident is part of a series of similar incidents of activists targeting artwork in Britain. Recent acts include climate protesters attempting to damage the Magna Carta in the British Library and throwing soup on Vincent van Gogh's "Sunflowers" at London's National Gallery.

Buckingham Palace, as per Reuters, has declined to comment on the incident. 

Meanwhile, Animal Rising has assured that their posters could be removed without damaging the portrait.

(With inputs from agencies)