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 zealots have vandalised the new portrait of King Charles at the Philip Mould gallery in London. 

At around 12pm two campaigners stuck Wallace and Gromit posters attacking the RSPCA over the face of his Majesty.

One poster was of Wallace's face and the other was a speech bubble which read: 'No Cheese, Gromit. Look At All This Cruelty On RSPCA Farms!'

The group are 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 there to protect animal welfare standards. 

Daniel Juniper one of those involved 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.

'Even though we hope this is amusing to His Majesty, we also call on him to seriously reconsider if he wants to be associated with the awful suffering across farms being endorsed by the RSPCA.

'Charles has made it clear he is sensitive to the suffering of animals in UK 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 animal farming.'

The action is an attempt by the group to raise awareness for their recent investigation into 45 RSPCA Assured farms where they allegedly found 280 legal breaches and 94 breaches of DEFRA regulations.

The activists claim to have found animal cruelty and suffering at each 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, an Animal Rising Spokesperson, said: 'Just as Feathers McGraw fooled Wallace into a bank heist, the RSPCA has been fooling the British public into thinking their factory farms are - in any way - an acceptable place for animals to live. 

'It's clear from the scenes across 45 RSPCA Assured farms that there's no kind way to farm animals.

'The RSPCA needs to take a bolder stance on the transition to a plant-based food system, beginning with calls for drastic meat reduction. The charity can, once again, lead the way for animals in the UK, rather than keeping them in misery.'

King Charles became the RSPCA's Royal Patron last month with the charity referencing his 'huge passion for nature and regenerative farming and his continued support for the RSPCA and the future of animal welfare' after the announcement.

It adds that though there is no specific job description for the role, first held by Queen Victoria in 1840, 'they play a vital role in recognising and promoting the contributions and achievements of charitable organisations like the RSPCA'.

The charity's Assured scheme involves six pledges promoting animal welfare. Assured farms should never cage livestock, provide a 'physically and mentally stimulating environment', have their animals slaughtered humanely, give more living space to animals, use antibiotics responsibly and be traceable from food they produce.

The King's painting, by renowned artist Jonathan Yeo, was commissioned in 2020 to celebrate the then-Prince of Wales's 50 years as a member of The Drapers' Company.

It depicts His Majesty wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards, of which he was made Regimental Colonel in 1975.

Yeo spoke of a butterfly on the portrait echoing Charles's '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 8.5ft by 6.5ft 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 in London's Philip Mould gallery.