Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been immortalized in a new artwork by Dan Llywelyn Hall, the renowned artist celebrated for his portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II. However, the portrayals have caused quite a stir amongst royal fans.
Dan, who holds the distinction of being the youngest artist to have painted the late monarch, Queen Elizabeth II has introduced a series of pieces featuring Harry and Meghan depicted as historical royals.
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In one of the portrayals, Meghan is represented as Dame Elizabeth Grey, who became Queen of England after marrying Edward IV in 1464. In the second portrayal, Prince Harry is depicted as Charles Edward Stuart, also known as Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Explaining his thought process, Dan mentioned that he saw a fine irony in casting Meghan as the White Queen, given her role as possibly the most influential outsider in royal history, and he believed this was not entirely unrealistic.
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The painting of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has since sparked considerable interest among royal fans since it was shared online. Opinions on the portrayals have been mixed, with comments ranging from positive to negative, showcasing the diverse reactions to this intriguing artistic interpretation.
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One fan voiced disapproval of the painting, writing, “Whatever the artist’s intention with this, at least it is a horrid depiction of her.” Another echoed this sentiment, questioning, “That is supposed to be Markle? Looks nothing like any of her faces!”
On the other hand, someone else argued that Meghan did not deserve to be portrayed as Elizabeth. They wrote, “It’s an insult to Elizabeth Woodville. Edward chose her for her personal qualities & this caused the scandal.”
The person then explained, “Marriages were made in those days to align for political & power reasons. She proved her worth & when he died she became Queen Dowager. Markle is nothing like Elizabeth.”
Comments continued to pour in, with one fan speculating about Meghan’s reaction to the painting, writing, “Oh, I don’t think she’ll be happy with the portrait.” Others expressed dissatisfaction with remarks like, “Don’t look nothing like her,” and “Not flattering at all.”
Another social media user wrote, “I thought H had been painted as van Gogh [sic].” Someone else noted, “They have always been royal.” One particularly harsh reaction read, “Goodness, they are rough. I really can’t say my initial reaction on this but use your imagination, it wasn’t polite!!! They look absolutely awful. A real insult.”
Born in Cardiff in 1980, Dan has made a name for himself with his vivid paintings that span both landscape and portraiture. His talent brings a unique combination of insight and raw emotional force to figurative art. Plus, his work has been widely exhibited throughout the UK.
Dan expressed his views on the royal family and the inspiration behind his artwork. He stated that the royal family is perhaps the most enthralling, longest-running drama in history. It has inspired theatre plays, books, and various art forms.
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The artist explained he saw these contemporary figures, caught on the knife edge of public opinion, as perfect subjects for drawing parallels with distant monarchs — exiled princes and princesses of the past.
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