King Charles Unveils His First Portrait Since Coronation

Artist Jonathan Yeo and Britain's King Charles III at the unveiling of artist Jonathan Yeo's portrait of the King, in the blue drawing room at Buckingham Palace, in London, Tuesday May 14, 2024. (AP)
Artist Jonathan Yeo and Britain's King Charles III at the unveiling of artist Jonathan Yeo's portrait of the King, in the blue drawing room at Buckingham Palace, in London, Tuesday May 14, 2024. (AP)
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King Charles Unveils His First Portrait Since Coronation

Artist Jonathan Yeo and Britain's King Charles III at the unveiling of artist Jonathan Yeo's portrait of the King, in the blue drawing room at Buckingham Palace, in London, Tuesday May 14, 2024. (AP)
Artist Jonathan Yeo and Britain's King Charles III at the unveiling of artist Jonathan Yeo's portrait of the King, in the blue drawing room at Buckingham Palace, in London, Tuesday May 14, 2024. (AP)

Britain's King Charles on Tuesday unveiled the first official portrait of himself since his coronation last May.

The portrait by artist Jonathan Yeo depicts Charles against a background of vivid red hues, wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards military unit, with a butterfly just above his shoulder.

"Much like the butterfly I've painted hovering over his shoulder, this portrait has evolved as the subject's role in our public life has transformed," Yeo, 53, who has previously painted Charles' late father Prince Philip, said in a statement.

"My aim was also to make reference to the traditions of Royal portraiture but in a way that reflects a 21st Century Monarchy and, above all else, to communicate the subject's deep humanity."

The portrait unveiled at Buckingham Palace was commissioned in 2020 to celebrate the then Prince of Wales's 50 years as a member of the grant-giving body, The Drapers' Company, in 2022, the palace said.

Yeo's past subjects have included British broadcaster and naturalist David Attenborough, Oscar-winning actor Nicole Kidman and former Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The oil on canvas artwork, which measures about 8-1/2 by 6-1/2 feet, is expected to be displayed at Drapers' Hall in the City of London - the capital's financial district - from the end of August, the palace said.



Mexico Awaits New Response from Google on Dispute Over Gulf of Mexico Name Before Filing Lawsuit 

The Gulf of Mexico branded as Gulf of America is pictured through a magnifying glass on the Google Maps app on a computer in Bogota on February 11, 2025. (AFP)
The Gulf of Mexico branded as Gulf of America is pictured through a magnifying glass on the Google Maps app on a computer in Bogota on February 11, 2025. (AFP)
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Mexico Awaits New Response from Google on Dispute Over Gulf of Mexico Name Before Filing Lawsuit 

The Gulf of Mexico branded as Gulf of America is pictured through a magnifying glass on the Google Maps app on a computer in Bogota on February 11, 2025. (AFP)
The Gulf of Mexico branded as Gulf of America is pictured through a magnifying glass on the Google Maps app on a computer in Bogota on February 11, 2025. (AFP)

Mexico said Monday it is awaiting a new response from Google to its request that the tech company fully restore the name “Gulf of Mexico” to its Google Maps service before filing a lawsuit.

President Claudia Sheinbaum shared a letter addressed to her government from Cris Turner, Google’s vice president of government affairs and public policy. It says that Google will not change the policy it outlined after US President Donald Trump declared the body of water the Gulf of America.

“We will wait for Google’s response and if not, we will proceed to court,” Sheinbaum said Monday during a morning press briefing.

As it stands, the gulf appears in Google Maps as “Gulf of America” within the United States, as “Gulf of Mexico” within Mexico and “Gulf of Mexico” (Gulf of America) elsewhere. Turner in his letter said the company was using “Gulf of America” to follow “longstanding maps policies impartially and consistently across all regions” and that the company was willing to meet in person with the Mexican government.

“While international treaties and conventions are not intended to regulate how private mapping providers represent geographic features, it is our consistent policy to consult multiple authoritative sources to provide the most up to date and accurate representation of the world,” he wrote.

Mexico has argued that the mapping policy violates Mexican sovereignty because the US only has jurisdiction over around 46% of the Gulf. The rest is controlled by Mexico, which controls 49% and Cuba, which controls around 5%. The name “Gulf of Mexico” dates back to 1607 and is recognized by the United Nations.

In response to Google's letter, Mexican authorities said they would take legal action, writing that “under no circumstance will Mexico accept the renaming of a geographic zone within its own territory and under its jurisdiction.”

The renaming of the body of water by Trump has flared tensions between Mexico and the US at a pivotal time for the neighboring allies.

Sheinbaum has had to walk a fine line with Trump amid threats of tariffs and Mexico and other Latin American countries have braced themselves for promised mass deportations, the brunt of which has still not been felt.

Along with the legal threat to Google, the Mexican president also announced Monday that Mexico and the US would hold high-level meetings this week on trade and security in an effort to maintain a “long-term plan of collaboration” between the two countries.

It's the latest round of talks between the two countries in which Mexico hopes to hold off a larger geopolitical crisis.