Two animal rights advocates stormed the National Gallery in London to deface King Charles’ new royal red portrait with a giant Wallace head from “Wallace and Gromit.”
As seen in viral video, the activists from the Animals Rising group were filmed pasting the Wallace poster over the face of King Charles III, along with a speech bubble that states: “No cheese Gromit, look at all this cruelty on RSPCA farms!”
The group took responsibility for the act — referencing the stop motion dog’s favorite snack — in a series of posts on social media Tuesday. “Click the link to find out why he has been Wallaced,” they posted, leading viewers to their website explaining their cause.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a charity in Wales and England. Foods that are labeled as “RSPCA Assured” are supposed to verify to customers that the animals used for the product were raised in humane conditions.
However, after some investigation from the group, they reportedly “found instances of poor animal welfare” on 45 of the sanctioned farms. This act of vandalism is their most recent attempt to bring the King’s attention to the issue.
The portrait of King Charles is not the first painting to be vandalized by activist groups. In recent years, particularly across Europe, there has been a surge in attempts to vandalize famous art work, live performances and buildings by climate protesters and animal rights activists. A similar case occurred in January, when a can of pumpkin soup was thrown at the Mona Lisa by an environmentalist group.
The portrait, painted by Jonathan Yeo, was unveiled in the London gallery in May. It was on display for less than a month before falling victim to the trend.
“Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” hits Netflix this winter.
