A new, unofficial, royal portrait has been unveiled at the London Dungeon today – a spoof of the viral and much meme’d King Charles III canvas, this time featuring Charles I!
The ‘bloody hilarious’ portrait was commissioned in celebration of the South Bank attraction’s new summer show Rotten Royals, which tells the story of the execution of (arguably) the most disliked King Charles in history.
The piece features Charles I against the same remarkably red background made famous this year, as well as the butterfly detail at the King’s shoulder. However, this version sees details like the full Welsh Guards uniform swapped out to a traditional paned doublet jacket, full breeches, gloves and gauntlets reflecting the first Charles’ finery.
The ‘blood-soaked’ portrait will be displayed in the London Dungeon’s ticket entrance for the launch of its summer show, from Saturday 13th July.
And fans of the spoof portrait will be able to win the chance to hang it in their own homes by visiting the London Dungeon, taking a picture with King Charles I’s ‘bloody’ likeness and posting to Instagram Stories tagging @LondonDungeon with the hashtag #RottenRoyalPortrait.
A London Dungeon spokesperson said: “What better way to announce our summer show about the first King Charles, than with a very large, very red and very unofficial royal painting of our own!
“In our specially commissioned spoof, some may even say the blood red colour is even more appropriate, as Charles I was the only English monarch to end his reign at the hands of the executioner. Whether you love to hate it or just plain love it, a lucky fan could even own this piece of portrait history, so come on down and check out the new show!”
The London Dungeon’s spine-chilling summer show Rotten Royals transports guests back in time to the violent end of the reign of King Charles I. Following a deadly five-year Civil War, the then King was sentenced to be executed for being a ‘tyrant, traitor, murderer and public enemy’. The grisly show places visitors in the heart of history – the run up to the only English King to be tried and executed for treason.
The new London Dungeon show, Rotten Royals, opens to the public from 13th July and is included in the standard ticket price.
Those brave enough to enter the depths of the London Dungeon, situated on the capital’s South Bank, will uncover unsettling tales of London’s darkest past and come face-to-face with spine-chilling historic characters including Jack the Ripper, Sweeney Todd and Mrs Lovett herself.
