Prince Harry and Prince William’s Portrait Removed From U.K. Gallery as Feud Rages On
A portrait of warring royal family members Prince Harry and Prince William has been removed from an art gallery in the United Kingdom. The painting, commissioned over a decade ago, is no longer part of an installation as the feud between the brothers rages on.
The portrait depicts Prince Harry and Prince William in happier times
In 2010, a painting of Prince Harry and Prince William was created by artist Nicky Philipps. Subsequently, the art installation hung in the National Portrait Gallery for years until the public space was closed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The gallery in London has undergone a $43M renovation during its closure. It will reopen later this month.
In 2008, the brothers sat for the painting at Phillips’ home. They were both in their 20s at the time the portrait was commissioned.
William and Harry wore the dress uniform of the Blue and Royals. Harry sat across from his older brother, who stood nearby. They locked eyes in the portrait.
To Express, Philipps recalled William and Harry were “so sweet, so close.” She continued, “The first portrait of the princes captures them formally dressed but informally posed. It is a delightful image, which extends the tradition of royal portraiture.”
Reportedly the painting’s removal was not requested by Kensington Palace
The gallery confirmed to Express that Kensington Palace did not request the painting’s removal from its installation. Instead, a team of museum curators decided to remove the painting.
A gallery spokesman told the outlet that only a small percentage of portraits could be viewed simultaneously. Some portraits, such as one of the royal brothers, have been switched out with the renovation.
“With over 250,000 portraits in our collection, we are only able to display a small percentage within our building. However, as one of the world’s largest and most important collections of portraits, we regularly lend and tour our works, both nationally and internationally,” said the spokesman.
They continued, “This portrait by Nicky Philipps was also included in a touring exhibition, ‘Tudors to Windsors,’ which traveled between 2018 and 2021.”
Prince Harry and Prince William currently have a frosty relationship
Since Prince Harry exited the royal family along with his wife, Meghan Markle, in 2010, his relationship with Prince William has been frosty. William reportedly couldn’t understand Harry’s desire to leave royal life behind.
Harry wanted a half-in, half-out proposition of royal life on his and Meghan’s terms. This did not sit well with senior members of the royal family, who vetoed his idea.
Subsequently, Harry chronicled in the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan that his and William’s relationship escalated further toward unhappiness. “I’ve had to make peace with the fact that we’re probably never going to get genuine accountability or a genuine apology [from senior royals],” Harry said in the docuseries. “My wife and I, we’re moving on. We’re focused on what’s coming next.”
Harry said he hopes for “reconciliation” with William and other royal family members despite their difficulties. “I don’t think we can ever have peace with my family unless the truth is out there,” he told Good Morning America.
“There’s a lot that I can forgive. But there need to be conversations for reconciliation, and part of that has to be accountability,” Harry concluded.
Prince Harry and Prince William reportedly last saw one another during their father’s coronation, King Charles III, in May 2023. They sat in the same section of Westminster Abbey, but Harry was placed several roles behind William, who sat in the front row.
