Entertainment12 June, 20262 min read
David Hockney Dies in London at 88, King Charles Leads Tributes
David Hockney died aged 88 in London, as confirmed by his publicist. King Charles led tributes, calling Hockney a 'giant of the world of art and painting'.
Hockney dies at 88
British artist David Hockney died Thursday 11 June in London at the age of 88, with tributes describing him as a “giant of the world of art and painting.” Paris Match said the painter was 88 and noted that a Louis Vuitton Foundation retrospective last year featured “pas moins de 400 œuvres majeures.”
The BBC reported that King Charles joined the art world in paying tribute, saying he and the Queen were “greatly saddened” to learn of Hockney’s death. In a statement announcing the death, Hockney’s representatives said “passed away peacefully at home on 11 June 2026, one month short of his 89th birthday.”
Royal and public tributes
King Charles’ tribute highlighted Hockney’s “beloved yellow Crocs,” recalling a Buckingham Palace visit in 2022 when the artist arrived by wheelchair but insisted on rising to meet the King. The Telegraph quoted the King’s message calling Hockney “one of life’s true originals,” and said the footwear helped “brighten Palace occasions.”
The BBC also included tributes from Dame Tracey Emin, who said: “A great artist and a wonderful man, who with the power of art changed the perception of Britishness.” In the same BBC account, Tate Britain director Alex Farquharson described Hockney as “an endlessly inventive artist, with a unique vision of the world,” and said he was “always completely and courageously himself, both in his work and in life.”
Legacy and next projects
The BBC said the Tate would continue to work with Hockney’s team to stage two planned projects next year, including “a major exhibition at Tate Britain” spanning seven decades of his work. It added that the other project would be “a multimedia installation in Tate Modern's Turbine Hall” bringing his celebrated designs for opera sets to life.
Reuters’ reactions piece quoted Tate Britain director Alex Farquharson calling Hockney “an endlessly inventive artist” and said his passing “brings to a close an extraordinary body of work characterised by reinvention.” The BBC also reported that Apple’s outgoing CEO Tim Cook wrote on X that Hockney “showed that creativity has no limits, turning iPad into a canvas for some of the most vibrant art of our time.”