King and Queen ‘greatly saddened’ by death of artist David Hockney

Hockney died peacefully at home on June 11.

The King has said he and Camilla are “greatly saddened” after hearing David Hockney had died aged 88, adding the artist will be “sorely missed”.

One of the most celebrated and influential British artists of modern times, Hockney died peacefully at home on June 11, his publicist Erica Bolton said.

Charles said in a message issued by Buckingham Palace: “My wife and I were greatly saddened to learn of the death of David Hockney, a giant of the world of art and painting, a Yorkshireman through and through, and a dear friend and inspiration to so many.”

The King had hosted Hockney on multiple occasions, including in November 2022 for his first Order of Merit luncheon, where the artist famously wore a suit paired with bright yellow rubber shoes.

Referencing this, Charles said: “David was one of life’s true originals; one who wore his genius as lightly as those beloved yellow Crocs of his that helped brighten Palace occasions.

“I trust they will see him tread safely into the hereafter as we mourn a man whose irrepressible charm, talent and constant innovation will be most sorely missed, but whose dazzling creativity lives on in galleries and museums around the world.”

It is understood the King and Hockney shared a warm relationship and had a mutual appreciation of art and the traditional craft of drawing.

In a statement to the Press Association, Hockney has been remembered as “a defining voice in art across his lifetime” and a pioneer who “reshaped the course of modern art”.

His celebrated career spanned seven decades, and his most famous paintings included The Splash, A Bigger Splash, Portrait Of An Artist (Pool With Two Figures), My Parents and Mr And Mrs Clark And Percy.

Hockney was lauded for his use of different formats, and embraced printmaking, set design, and photography to evolving media including photocopier and fax machines, computer, iPhone and iPad drawing, and stained glass.

Professor Christoph Lindner, president and vice-chancellor of the Royal College of Art, where Hockney studied from 1959 to 1963, remembered him as a “defining voice in art across his lifetime”.

Alex Farquharson, director of Tate Britain, where Hockney held a landmark retrospective in 2017, said the gallery will work closely with the artist’s team to realise the two projects he was working on before his death – a major exhibition at Tate Britain, spanning seven decades of his work, and a multimedia installation in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall.

He said: “We are greatly saddened by the news of David Hockney’s death. Widely regarded as one of the most successful and recognisable artists of our time, he is an immensely important figure to Tate, with his work first entering our collection in 1963.

“David was an endlessly inventive artist, with a unique vision of the world. He was always completely and courageously himself, both in his work and in life.”

Many of his most beloved works were shown at the gallery in 2017, which became the gallery’s most popular exhibition to date, pulling in almost half a million visitors.

Hockney is survived by his long-time partner and companion Jean-Pierre Goncalves de Lima; his great-nephew Richard, who acted as studio assistant in his last years; his brothers Philip and John; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, Ms Bolton said.

Tributes have poured in for the beloved artist, and the mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, described him as “quite simply one of Yorkshire’s finest”.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy called Hockney “a true titan of British art”.

Sir Nicholas Serota, chairman of Arts Council England, praised him as an “artist of constant invention” who was “full of humility about his achievements, but his work was admired across the world”.