“No Cheese Gromit” Activists Target King Charles’ Portrait Over RSPCA Farm Cruelty Claims
Animal rights activists have targeted a portrait of King Charles, covering his face with a picture of the animated character Wallace from “Wallace and Gromit.” A speech bubble added to the artwork read, “No cheese Gromit. Look at all this cruelty on RSPCA farms.” The protest took place at the Philip Mould Gallery in central London.
This act of protest was aimed at the first official portrait of King Charles by artist Jonathan Yeo since the coronation, unveiled at Buckingham Palace last month. The group responsible, Animal Rising, claimed the artwork was targeted due to the King’s affection for the British stop-motion comedy franchise created by Nick Park and his role as Royal Patron of the RSPCA.
According to Animal Rising, two of their supporters executed the stunt. They stated it was to draw attention to alleged cruelty reported on RSPCA-assured farms. Daniel Juniper, one of the activists involved, wrote on the group’s website, “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.”
Juniper added, “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.”
A video posted on social media shows the protesters using paint rollers to attach the posters to the painting before walking away. Philip Mould, the gallery owner, said that staff had anticipated the possibility of such an incident and had secured the painting with protective layers. “I wasn’t hugely surprised,” Mould said. “The attack on the picture was not actually of a serious nature. The perpetrators put water on the surface very quickly in a swift manoeuvre and then they added stickers to that.”
Mould confirmed that no damage was done to the painting and that the stickers were removed within seconds by gallery staff. He asked the individuals to leave, and they complied.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed they attended the gallery following footage circulating on social media. They spoke to the staff, who confirmed no damage was done to the painting or its protective covering. The gallery did not wish to report a crime, and no further action was taken by the police.
Animal Rising explained that the posters were affixed using water, making them easy to remove. The group is calling for King Charles to suspend his support for the RSPCA until the charity drops its ethical food labelling scheme. Orla Coghlan, a spokesperson for Animal Rising, likened the situation to the deception in “Wallace and Gromit,” stating, “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.”
An RSPCA spokesperson responded to the incident, stating the charity has launched an “immediate, urgent investigation” into the footage received from Animal Rising. They expressed shock at the vandalism but maintained that the RSPCA-assured scheme is the best way to help farmed animals while campaigning for future improvements.
The spokesperson added, “While we understand that Animal Rising, like us, want the best for animals, their activity is a distraction and a challenge to the work we are all doing to create a better world for every animal.”
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the incident.
The portrait of King Charles, painted by renowned artist Jonathan Yeo, shows him in the uniform of the Welsh Guards and was commissioned to mark his 50 years as a member of The Draper’s Company in 2022.