In a bold act of protest, the animal rights group ‘Animal Rising’ targeted the first official portrait of King Charles III, currently on display at the Philip Mould Gallery in London. The activists covered the portrait with an image of Wallace from the animated series ‘Wallace and Gromit,’ accompanied by a speech bubble decrying the cruelty on RSPCA Assured farms. The group’s action aimed to shine a light on what they describe as a ‘damning investigation’ into the conditions of 45 farms certified by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), challenging the credibility of the RSPCA Assured label.King Charles III, who recently became the patron of the RSPCA following in the footsteps of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, has been called upon by Animal Rising to reconsider his association with the charity. The group’s report alleges widespread animal suffering, including dead or dying chickens, pigs left to rot, and live salmon eaten by sea lice. Nick Park, the creator of the ‘Wallace and Gromit’ series and a patron of the RSPCA, has not publicly commented on the use of his characters in the protest.The RSPCA has responded to the allegations by stating that they take welfare concerns seriously and are swiftly investigating the claims. The Philip Mould Gallery has confirmed that the incident was quickly resolved with no harm done to the artwork. The protest has sparked a debate on animal welfare standards in the UK and the effectiveness of certification schemes in ensuring the humane treatment of farm animals.
Key points
- Animal rights group ‘Animal Rising’ vandalized King Charles III’s official portrait to protest RSPCA Assured farms.
- The group claims the RSPCA Assured label hides ‘industrial-scale cruelty’ and demands the King withdraw his support.
- The RSPCA is investigating the group’s allegations of animal cruelty on certified farms.
