King Charles III portrait would be put up in every Scotland school under £8m plans from UK Government

King Charles III is on holiday at Balmoral with Queen Camilla

A portrait of King Charles III would be hung in every school and nursery across Scotland under plans reportedly drawn up by the UK Government.

Under the £8 million proposal, Scottish ministers have been asked to draw up an extensive list of public buildings that could receive a portrait of the monarch.

The initiative has been set out by Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, who is believed to have asked for names and addresses of council buildings, prisons, courts, police stations and education institutions that could receive the portraits.

King Charles III at the gates of Balmoral. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire

But the plans have sparked a furious reaction from critics, with the move likened to North Korea, where portraits of Kim Jong Un are hung in all schools.

Scottish Government culture minister Christina McKelvie told the Daily Record: “In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, we do not believe portraits of His Majesty are an appropriate use of civil service time or of public funds.”

Details of the scheme have been revealed at a time when King Charles is holidaying at Balmoral.

The monarch was pictured at the Lonach Highland Games in Aberdeenshire alongside Queen Camilla. The couple are expected to entertain Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty over coming days while at the royals’ summer retreat.

King Charles III inspects Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, at the gates of Balmoral, as he takes up summer residence at the castle. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire

Scottish Green education spokesperson Ross Greer said: “At a time when the UK Government is cutting Scotland’s budget and telling us there’s no money to fund basic public services, they can apparently find millions of pounds for a bizarre scheme that would look more at home in North Korea.

“If Westminster wants to boost support for Charles Windsor, maybe they should end the exemptions he and his family enjoy from everything from inheritance tax to anti-discrimination laws.”

The proposal comes just days after the Metropolitan Police said no further action would be taken against the King’s charity The Prince’s Foundation over cash-for-honours allegations.

Mr Dowden has reportedly said the portraits will represent a “visible reminder in buildings up and down the country of the nation’s ultimate public servant”.

A UK Government spokesperson said: “It is right that public authorities, as part of the fabric of our nation, have the opportunity, should they wish, to commemorate the accession of His Majesty The King and reflect the new era in our history.”