Over 46,000 public bodies spurned offer of free King Charles portrait

Exclusive: Cabinet Office refusing FoI request to disclose exactly where the pictures did end up amid falling public support for monarchy

It was a celebratory multimillion pound scheme to mark the beginning of King Charles III’s reign. Free portraits of the king were offered to all public bodies – every town hall, university, hospital and even jobcentre – so the new monarch’s visage could gaze down on his subjects.

The initiative would provide “a reminder of the example set by our ultimate public servant”, said the then Tory deputy prime minister, Oliver Dowden.