King Charles has paid tribute to British artist David Hockney, who passed away at the age of 88.

“My wife and I were greatly saddened to learn of the death of David Hockney O.M., a giant of the world of art and painting, a Yorkshireman through and through, and a dear friend and inspiration to so many,” he wrote.

The King continued, “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.”

In 2022, during a reception at Buckingham Palace, Hockney did indeed wear bright yellow Crocs:

Hockney declined a knighthood in 1990, but received the Order of Merit from Queen Elizabeth in 2012. “I do not think life is about prizes,” he told the Bradford Telegraph and Argus in 2003 about his decision to refuse the honor. “I put them all in the bottom drawer and leave them there. I don’t value prizes of any sort. I value my friends. Prizes of any sort are a bit suspect.”

When he received news of the Order, he said, “No comment. Other than it’s nice to know they are not prejudiced against the older smoker.”

In 2018, he designed a stained glass window at Westminster Abbey called The Queen’s Window to celebrate the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Per the Abbey, “It was designed on an iPad and uses Hockney’s distinct colour palette of yellow, red, blue, pink, orange and green. The rural scene, featuring hawthorn blossom, was chosen to reflect the Queen’s deep love of the countryside. On summer evenings, the light from the window floods the transept, bathing it in a beautiful kaleidoscope of colour.”

The church paid tribute to Hockney today, too. “David Hockney’s restless eye and eager enthusiasm for pastures new has left us with an extraordinary legacy that is rich and various and yet also unmistakably his,” the Dean of Westminster, Dr. David Hoyle MBE said. “The window he created for the north transept lets in light that arrives with attitude and even humour, painting the statue of Gladstone in shifting shades throughout the summer months. Hockney has left his mark here and we will long remember a great and very personal genius.”