King Charles wax statue revealed in Paris and fans aren't impressed by the 'awful' creation

The King Charles wax statue has gained a lot of interest since it was unveiled next to one of Queen Elizabeth II - but not in a good way

His Majesty, King Charles III spends time visiting and speaking to members of the Sudanese community to bear witness to their testimonies of the Darfur conflict and to hear about their lives, in Sudan and now in the UK on March 15, 2023 in London, England. The King was shown photographs, drawings and objects brought from Sudan. 2023 marks a year of activity by the Sudanese community to mark the start of the conflict, and atrocities in the Darfur region of Sudan. His Majesty will met Sudanese women who decorate pieces of fabric to create a giant toub (traditional Sudanese dress); an empowerment and peacebuilding project which aims to bring the UK Sudanese community together as a visual representation of unity and solidarity. The King was accompanied by Amouna (not pictured), a survivor of the conflict in Darfur.
(Image credit: Ian Vogler - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

The King Charles wax statue, which was unveiled in Paris, has garnered a lot of attention online - but not necessarily the positive kind. The statue was displayed at the Grévin Museum in Paris's Grands Boulevards ahead of the King's official visit to France - which has subsequently been canceled.


A wax figure of King Charles III is unveiled at Musee Grevin on March 24, 2023 in Paris, France AND In this image released on December 23, King Charles III is seen during the recording of his first Christmas broadcast in the Quire of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, on December 13, 2022 in Windsor, England.

(Image credit: Marc Piasecki/Getty Images AND Victoria Jones - Pool/Getty Images)

As the countdown to King Charles's Coronation day continues, the weight of the many honors before him is undeniably large. Being a living historical figure is no mean feat and comes with all sorts of unusual experiences - including people creating likenesses of you.

The latest likeness that's sparked a lot of conversation online is the monarch's waxwork, which has been unveiled in the French capital. This chat leans more on the hilarious side as people have reacted somewhat harshly.

Flowers have been laid in front of the wax statue of late Britain's Queen Elizabeth II at the Grevin wax museum in Paris on September 9, 2022, a day after the death of the monarch. - Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch in British history, died at her Scottish Highland retreat on September 8 at the age of 96.

(Image credit: Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT / AFP/ Getty Images)

"Did they start with an old George W. Bush statue?" joked one Twitter user. "Dear God they're horrific," added another - in reference to both the King Charles wax statue and the waxwork of his late mother Queen Elizabeth II.

One user even tweeted, "Are they waxworks of actors playing the Royals?"

Of course, as history has proven, getting the likeness of a well-known face right can be a challenge for even the most experienced artists. 

Statue of Cristiano Ronaldo at the ceremony at Madeira Airport to rename it Cristiano Ronaldo Airport on March 29, 2017 in Santa Cruz, Madeira, Portugal.

(Image credit: Octavio Passos/Getty Images)

Take the bronze Cristiano Ronaldo statue created by Emanuel Santos, which became an overnight meme. Or the statue in tribute to the one and only Hollywood legend Lucille Ball in her New York hometown of Celoron - which Time reports was dubbed 'Scary Lucy' by locals.

Challenging as it may be, immortalizing famous figures in stone, marble, bronze, or whatever medium you choose is an art as old as time. There's one individual, however, who's become synonymous with wax reproductions - Madam Tussaud.

"I think they need Madame Tussaud back," tweeted one observer of the King Charles Wax statue, referencing the famous French wax sculptor, born in 1761. She became renowned as the maker of wax models of many prominent victims of the French revolution - before eventually settling in the UK and founding Madam Tussauds in 1835.

A wax figure of King Charles III is unveiled at Musee Grevin on March 24, 2023 in Paris, France.

(Image credit: Marc Piasecki/Getty Images)

Speaking of, this isn't the first time King Charles wax statue has been the source of media attention as back in October 2022, per BBC News, Just Stop Oil protesters threw pies in the face of his waxwork in Madam Tussauds in London.

At the time of writing, no pies have been thrown at the King Charles wax statue in Paris.

Aoife Hanna
Junior News Editor

Aoife is an Irish journalist and writer with a background in creative writing, comedy, and TV production.

Formerly woman&home's junior news editor and a contributing writer at Bustle, her words can be found in the Metro, Huffpost, Delicious, Imperica and EVOKE.

Her poetry features in the Queer Life, Queer Love anthology.

Outside of work you might bump into her at a garden center, charity shop, yoga studio, lifting heavy weights, or (most likely) supping/eating some sort of delicious drink/meal.