Government's Free King Charles Portrait Scheme Sees Limited Uptake Across UK Institutions

Despite costing £2.7 million, only 31% of eligible public institutions opted to display the portrait commemorating King Charles' reign.

The scheme offered free framed portraits of King Charles in Royal Navy uniform to 67,152 eligible public institutions, but only 20,565 accepted.
Church of England churches, of which the King is the Supreme Governor, had a 25% acceptance rate, with 4,031 of 15,815 churches ordering the portrait.
Hospitals showed the lowest uptake at less than 3%, while HM Coastguard had the highest with 100% participation across its 23 centres.
The initiative, launched by the previous Conservative government after the King’s coronation in May 2023, cost £2.7 million, with each portrait averaging £131.81 including delivery.
The scheme's uptake was particularly low in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, where acceptance rates were 13.7%, 13.8%, and 10.5%, respectively.