The great moment had come. The King reached out and pulled the red tag in the centre of an enormous black cloth. A portrait that had taken three years was finally revealed.

The painting is by Jonathan Yeo. It shows Charles in the uniform of the Welsh Guards, leaning on his sword. The uniform is red, and so is the swirling background, and there is a butterfly hovering above the King's shoulder.

Some great portraits survive of previous monarchs. One is the "ArmadaA fleet of warships. portrait" of Queen Elizabeth IThe Tudor Queen of England from 1558 to 1603.. Through a window in the background we can see the storm which scattered the Spanish ArmadaThe Spanish Armada was a Spanish fleet of ships that sailed from Lisbon to England in late May 1588, with the intention of attacking the English navy..

Not all royal portraits have been well received. Some people said that Lucian FreudA British painter who was the grandson of Sigmund Freud. In 2015 his painting The Brigadier was sold for £35.8m.'s portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II made her look like a corgi.

And according to Alastair Sooke in the Daily Telegraph, the new portrait shows a King who "isn't entirely sure of himself". Sooke nicknames him Charles the Unsteady.

This is some of the symbolism that can be found in the portrait:

Swirling colours Create a sense of turbulence, reflecting the recent upheavals in the royal family.

Background match The fact that his uniform is the same colour as the background indicates that he is caught up in the surrounding whirlwind.

Fluttering butterfly Symbolises not only his love of nature, but his metamorphosisA complete transformation or change of appearance and structure.  from prince to king.

Sword stance Having his hands resting on his sword gives a sense of steadiness amid chaos.

Is this Charles the Unsteady?

Yes! It is a far cry from traditional royal portraits such as Elizabeth I's, where the subject stands out clearly from the background and appears to be very much in charge of the situation.

No! The King had to stand still for 40 minutes at a time in his heavy uniform to pose for the portrait, but managed to remain cheerful. 

Armada - A fleet of warships.

Elizabeth I - The Tudor Queen of England from 1558 to 1603.

Spanish Armada - The Spanish Armada was a Spanish fleet of ships that sailed from Lisbon to England in late May 1588, with the intention of attacking the English navy.

Lucian Freud - A British painter who was the grandson of Sigmund Freud. In 2015 his painting The Brigadier was sold for £35.8m.

Metamorphosis - A complete transformation or change of appearance and structure.