Schools, councils and police stations to receive portrait of King – at cost of £8m to taxpayer

Public bodies such as schools, local councils, police and fire stations will soon be eligible for a free portrait of the King.

State-run organisations will be able to request one framed portrait each when the scheme launches later this year, the Cabinet Office said.

The initiative will cost £8 million and follows on from a similar one focused on the late Queen.

Oliver Dowden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said the pictures would serve as a “visible reminder to buildings up and down the country of the nation’s ultimate public servant”.

“They will help us turn a page in our history together and pay a fitting tribute to our new sovereign,” he said in a statement.

“I am sure they will take pride of place in public buildings across the land.”

The portrait of King Charles is yet to be released by Buckingham Palace along with the complete list of eligible institutions.

Critics argue the money could be better spent, however.

Graham Smith, chief executive of the anti-monarchy group Republic, described the scheme as a “shameful waste of money”.

“At a time when a majority of local councils are raising taxes and cutting public services, when schools and hospitals are struggling, to spend even £1 on this nonsense would be £1 too much,” he said.

“The government has lost the plot if they think people want their money spent on pictures of Charles.

“They need to scrap this scheme and direct the money where it’s really needed.”

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