The British royal family, especially Queen Elizabeth II, has a long-standing affection for corgis, contributing to their popularity.

Queen Elizabeth II owned over 30 corgis, many descended from her first, Susan.

The Queen's corgis often accompanied her on walks, outings, and flights to Balmoral.

The royal family's bond with Corgis, particularly the Queen's love for them, has contributed to their global popularity.

The Queen's love for corgis has boosted the breed's popularity and led to a perception of them as pets.

Corgis have reached a 30-year peak in popularity following the Platinum Jubilee and Queen Elizabeth's death.

Breeders emphasize corgis' royal connection and unique characteristics to attract buyers.

Corgis' small size, short coat, and energetic personality make them appealing to buyers.

Breeders can highlight corgis' gentle, intelligent, loyal, and affectionate nature to attract buyers.

Breeders can highlight the breed's versatility as family pets and working dogs to appeal to potential buyers.

Dog breeders can emphasize the quality and heritage of their corgis by referencing the queen's 14 generations of corgis.

Dog breeders can appeal to royal family fans and corgi lovers by marketing the queen's love for corgis.

The British royal family, especially Queen Elizabeth II, has a long-standing affection for corgis, contributing to their popularity.

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Content: Give a paw: 20 photo proofs that dogs are the best friends of monarchs
26.01.2022, 0: 14, Misc
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Dogs in the role of pets of the royal families are a very long time, and especially they are loved by the British royal family.
The main lover of dogs, and it is Corgi, is Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.
The first dog of this breed was presented to her by her father, King George VI, and 7-year-old Princess Elizabeth named the puppy Dookie.
Since then, and especially since the coronation of Elizabeth, Corgi have become residents of Buckingham Palace.
Most of the pets that later lived in the palace are the descendants of this dog.
At the court of Elizabeth II lived a total of more than 30 corgis.
And they became the only living creatures that are allowed to enter the room ahead of the Queen.
At some point, the Queen brought out a new breed – the Dorgi: this happened after one of her corgis had an affair with Princess Margaret ’ s Pipkin Dachshund.
So were born dogs named Vulcan and Candy.
The last corgi of Elizabeth II – 15-year-old Willow – died in 2018.
And in 2015, it was announced that the Queen will no longer breed them, since she has no idea who will take care of the corgi when she is gone.
At the end of 2020, one of her favorite dogs passed away - Dorgi Volcano, who posed with her mistress for Vanity Fair magazine in 2018.
After that, Her Majesty of Great Britain left only one dog, also a breed of Dorgy – Candy.
The coronavirus pandemic made its changes to the Queen ’ s plans: during the lockdown, she was presented with two Dorgy puppies – Fergus and Muick, and the gift was presented by her youngest son, Prince Andrew.
Unfortunately, Fergus died in May 2021.
But in June, in honor of the 100th anniversary of Prince Philip, Andrew bought his mother another puppy.
The future Queen of Great Britain, Princess Elizabeth
Warm feelings for the four-legged were adopted by Prince William and Harry, who got along with dogs since childhood.
In the family of William and Kate Middleton lived cocker spaniel Lupo, which they in 2011 for the wedding gave brother Kate – James, who is engaged in breeding dogs.
In November 2020, the dog was gone, and Middleton Jr. gave them a new puppy, whose name and even sex were unknown.
Probably, the baby, born by the sister of the same Lupo, the couple are very fond – during the last release last week, Kate and William, having met a puppy therapist in a hospital in Lancashire, told reporters that they are glad that their dog (yes, this is “she ”) does not see how they cute communicate with this charming puppy.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana with their sons William and Harriet Middleton and Prince William
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also have their own history of relationships with dogs: now with the spouses in Montecito live beagle Guy and black Labrador retriever Pula.
Dog Guy is a real traveler: the dog moved with Megan to London in 2017 (her second dog she could not take because of the venerable age of the dog), and in 2019, he returned to the United States with his mistress.
The level of attachment of British monarchs to dogs (and not only) was reflected in art: in the summer of 2020, the theme of the annual photo exhibition at Buckingham Palace, which is held when Elizabeth II goes on vacation to Balmoral, was the theme of the love of members of the British royal family for animals.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry with the President and First Lady of Ireland and their dogs, 2018
There are other relatives of Elizabeth II: her son, Prince Edward, and daughter-in-law, Countess Sophie, have two dogs – a black Labrador and a Cocker Spaniel – and even a turtle.
Princess Anne ’ s daughter Zara Tindall and her husband Mike are the lucky owners of boxer Sway and two black labradors Storm and Pepper.
And, it seems, they are most loved by the couple ’ s daughters: once in the paparazzi captured the scene of Mia and Lena walking the dogs themselves.
However, due to the fact that the girls were very little, it is difficult to understand who was walking whom at that time.
And the eldest son of the Queen, Prince Charles, and Duchess Camilla live two dogs – Beth and Bluebell, and the second Duchess found on the street.
However, British monarchs are not the only ones who get along well with dogs.
In the Danish royal family (Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Marie) until 2021, there was only one dog – Border Collie Grace.
But in December she gave birth to two puppies.
In the royal family of the Netherlands (King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima), Labrador named Luna, Skipper and Nala live for several years, and in October they had a Mambo puppy.
In Norway, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit have their own pets – Labradoodle Muffin and Millie Cocoa.
This dog once greatly battered the nerves of its owners: in 2017, during a trip to the mountains, where the family was skiing, the dog escaped, but soon found him.
King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustav and Queen Silvia are avid dog owners no less than their “colleague ” Elizabeth: many years ago they had a dog Bingo, and in recent years they see a mongrel Brandi next to them.
Their daughter, Crown Princess Victoria, started the Rio Cavudla in the spring of 2020, which is a cross between a cavalier and a poodle.
We offer you to see a selection of the most interesting, cute, funny, touching photos with the participation of dogs and representatives of monarchies from around the world.
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Queen Maxima with their daughters, 2015 Duchess Camilla and Queen Letizia of Spain in Madrid, 2011 Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Crown Princess Mette-Marit with children, 2018 Kate Middleton at St. Patrick ’ s Day Parade, 2019 Duchess of CamillaPrince Charles Daughters of Zara and Mike Princess Anne and Countess Sophie of WessekPrince EdwardCarolina, Princess of Monaco and Hanover - the eldest daughter of Prince Rainier III of Monaco and Grace Kelly
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Queen Elizabeth II owned over 30 corgis, many descended from her first, Susan.

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Testimony of the Times: A Tribute to Elizabeth II on the Front Page of British News
Intel CEO reveals real idea: China will not attack Taiwan in five years
"I must be seen to be believed" fashion queen wears new female role model
Elizabeth II, who died on the 8th, remained silent about her political inclinations during her reign, but the Queen famously said, “I must be seen to be believed, ” taking this goal to heart since she became king at the age of 25 and setting a new model for women ’ s power in the second half of the 20th century.
The Queen knows that an external image can also carry a message, and for 70 years she has not only dressed for her people, but also left a topic for future generations.
A staunch practitioner of fashion diplomacy, she began working with designer brands long before Michelle Obama, former First Lady of the United States, and Kate, Prince William ’ s wife. Through clothing, she brought the hand of friendship across national borders and brought life to her country ’ s fashion industry.
She is also a top dresser for the media, wearing brightly colored suits that both conform to the traditional system and stand out from the crowd.
Such a clever strategy could be seen in later generations, including Hillary Clinton, Angela Merkel, and Nancy Pelosi.
The Queen is everywhere in popular culture, recognising her by her silhouette alone, always a petite woman in a hat, with a handbag hanging over her arm.
Such an image is so easily recognizable that the actresses who play her can easily emulate it.
Her style is often described as opinionated, but she does walk in front of the trend; she chooses to maintain the same color from hats, suits, coats, to two-inch light shoes, such as rose, emerald, lavender, purple grapes, so that others can easily identify her.
"I can never wear beige because then no one knows who I am," she once confessed to the royal biographer Robert Hardman. The lemon green suit she wore on her 90th birthday was dazzling, and the exclusive hashtag # neonat90 appeared on the Internet.
In fact, her use of color inspired Sali Hughes to write “Our Rainbow Queen, ” one of at least seven books on the Queen ’ s fashion.
In addition to the clear insistence on style of dress, the Queen ’ s love for the corgis is also unforgettable. The corgis ’ relationship with the Queen began long before she met and married Prince Philip, and dates back to her childhood.
The Queen loves Corgi, and in the 1970s she created a new breed of sausages and Corgi with her sister Princess Margaret, known as the "dorgi".
Royal insiders told the media that the Queen likes Corgi because they are full of energy.
In her lifetime, the Queen owned 30 Corgi and Dorje dogs.
After her death, she left behind four dogs, including two Corgi, a Doggie named Candy and a cocker spaniel named Lissy.
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The Queen's corgis often accompanied her on walks, outings, and flights to Balmoral.

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Content: Throughout her life, the Queen has made no secret of her love for her corgis and dorgis. The monarch has often been seen alongside her furry friends, and it is thought that she has looked after more than 30 of the dogs over the years.

As you can imagine, the Queen’s beloved pets have been treated to lives of pure luxury, with their meals more extravagant than most. The pampered pooches obviously couldn't just eat any old normal dog food, but instead are said to feast on the best ingredients produced by top chefs.

The corgis' diet is thought to be made up of luxurious meals such as fillet steaks and chicken breast. Royal biographer Brian Hoey revealed the details of the corgi’s luxurious diet in his book Pets by Royal Appointment.

READ MORE: Prince George's incredibly normal hobby that could see him play against members of the public and they won't even know

The biographer also revealed how the carefully prepared meals are delivered by a footman and then covered in gravy that is poured by the Queen herself. The pampered pets are also reportedly off limits when it comes to discipline. Brian wrote in his book that nobody is allowed to raise a finger or a voice to any of the dogs.

He claimed they cock their legs and do what corgis do wherever they want — on antique furniture, priceless carpets. They are also said to have their own room and they are allowed to wander around freely. According to Mail Online, the dogs never eaten tinned food and have even been given homeopathic remedies when they get sick.

The monarch’s close relationship with the corgi breed of dog goes back to 1933 when her father brought home a corgi that would later be named Dookie. When she was younger the Queen also had a corgi called Susan, who was gifted to her in 1944 for her 18th birthday, and quickly became a close companion.

Many of the Queen’s later corgis are said to be descendants of Susan, as the Queen continued to breed the line of dogs over fifty years. She even went on to create a number of 'dorgis', after cross breeding one of her dogs with Margaret's Dachshund, Pipkin.

Last year the Queen welcomed two new dorgis, one called Fergus and one called Muick, but the former sadly died from a heart defect in May. In June 2021, Prince Andrew and daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie gave the Queen a new puppy, named Sandy, on what would have been Prince Philip's 100th birthday.

According to Hello!, one of the Queen's closest aides, Angela Kelly, has told how the pets "always brought a smile to everyone's faces" in a new chapter for her book The Other Side of the Coin, The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe. She said: "I was worried they would get under The Queen's feet, but they have turned out to be a godsend. They are beautiful and great fun and The Queen often takes long walks with them in Home Park."

Angela revealed that the dogs accompanied the Queen on a flight to Balmoral in August 2021. She told: "They were very well behaved, with Louis the footman on hand. Candy, who is an old hand at flying – she must have been on hundreds of flights in her lifetime – ambled about and kept her eye on the young pups. The puppies stayed close to The Queen but occasionally sniffed around your feet as they hoped for a nibble of something tasty from our lunch."

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The royal family's bond with Corgis, particularly the Queen's love for them, has contributed to their global popularity.

Title:

Content: King Charles Spaniel numbers are declining and the breed is on the Kennel Club's 'vulnerable list' - amid Corgi boom following Queen Elizabeth's death

  • Corgis have seen boom in popularity after Platinum Jubilee and death of Queen
  • Number of Pembroke Welsh Corgis registered with Kennel Club hit 30-year peak
  • But popularity of King Charles Spaniels is continuing to decline, hitting a low
  • Lovers of the breed are hoping sharing name with new King will boost the dogs

Interest in Corgis has boomed following the Platinum Jubilee and the death of Queen Elizabeth, according to the Kennel Club.

Numbers of Pembroke Welsh Corgis registered with the organisation have reached a 30-year high, the Times reports.

Conversely, King Charles Spaniels are continuing to see a decline in their popularity, with lovers of the breed reportedly hoping that sharing a moniker with the new monarch may give the dogs a boost (though the new king prefers Jack Russells).

The breed, which is on the Kennel Club's vulnerable list, hit a low in 2020, with just 56 registrations. This increased to 91 in 2021, but numbers so far this year are so low, it is likely to drop beneath 2020.

The number of Corgis registered with the Kennel Club has reached a 30-year high, with interest growing following the death of the Queen (pictured here in 1980 with three of the dogs)

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (as pictured) are doing well in terms of popularity, although their close relative the King Charles Spaniel (not pictured) is seeing a decline

However, it notes that Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, the original breed from which King Charles diverged in the middle of the century, is doing well, with 3,772 registrations last year.

The original Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dog breed was developed from toy spaniels. Popular as women's pets, they were also beloved of King Charles II, who was said to be so fond of his spaniels, he could not be parted from them.

Although Corgis were on the Kennel Club's vulnerable list in 2014, they are now one ofthe UK's most popular breeds, and the Queen is credited with boosting their popularity (pictured: Queen Elizabeth with one of her beloved corgis, Candy)

The Pembroke Welsh Corgi has become known as a symbol of British royalty thanks to its long-standing association with the Queen

Lovers of the ailing King Charles Spaniel may look to the influence the Queen had in turning around the fortune of corgis in recent decades.

The breed was listed as 'vulnerable' in 2014, and the Kennel Club credits Her Majesty's love of the dogs as the major factor in making them one of the UK's most popular breeds today.

Corgis, which have four short legs, a long snout and two huge pointed ears, are famous for being a symbol of British royalty.

HISTORY OF THE CORGI BREED

The word 'Corgi' is Welsh for 'Dwarf Dog', and there are two types; the Pembroke, which is the Queen's breed, and the Cardigan Corgi, a descendent Teckel family of dogs, which also produced the Dachshund

Pembroke Welsh Corgis originated in Pembrokeshire, Wales from the Spitz family of dogs which are characterised by long, thick fur and pointed ears and muzzle

Corgis are a cattle herding breed that can be traced back as far as 1107 AD, thought to have been brought to Wales by  Flemish weavers

They are the type of herding dog referred to as 'heelers', meaning that they would nip at the heels of cattle to keep them moving

The combination of their low height off the ground and the innate agility of Welsh Corgis would allow them to avoid the hooves of the larger animals

They were officially recognised as a native British breed by The Kennel Club in 1928, but Cardigans and Pembrokes weren't seen as separate breeds until 1934

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The Queen owned more than 30 of the sandy, short-legged dogs throughout her reign.

She was gifted her first corgi, called Susan, for her 18th birthday from her late father King George VI. Ten generations of her corgis then descended from Susan.

Her dogs were given the Royal treatment having their own rooms with elevated wicker baskets and meals of beef, chick, rabbit, liver, cabbage and rice being prepared by a chef each evening.

Sometimes the Queen herself made the dog's meals. But her late husband was said to have 'loathed' the dogs' yapping.

She left behind two dogs - Sandy and Muick - who are now cared for by Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York at their Royal Lodge home.

Muick, pronounced Mick, joined the royal family at the start of 2021 along with a so-called 'dorgi', a cross between a corgi and a dachshund, called Fergus.

Fergus, who had been named after the Monarch's uncle who was killed during battle in the First World War, died after just five months.

He was later replaced with a new corgi called Sandy, as a 95th birthday present from Prince Andrew and his daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.

Meanwhile Muick was named after Loch Muick on the Balmoral Estate.

Palace sources speaking to the Daily Mail previously revealed the beloved corgis were 'with [the Queen] in the room' at her deathbed when she died on September 8 at Balmoral.

They then touched people's hearts when they made a poignant appearance at Her Majesty's funeral on September 19.

As the late monarch's coffin made its way from London to its final resting place in Windsor, Muick and Sandy waited for the processional to pass, to see the Queen for one last time.

The dogs were seen waiting in the quadrangle with two aides before the late monarch was laid to rest in St George's Chapel.

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King Charles Spaniel numbers declining amid Corgi boom following Queen Elizabeth's death

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The Queen's love for corgis has boosted the breed's popularity and led to a perception of them as pets.

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Corgis bred for herding livestock long before Queen Elizabeth II made them famous

By Sophie Johnson
Posted

While corgis are synonymous with the late Queen Elizabeth II, it might be a surprise to know the tiny breed is still used as a working dog in Australia.

The Queen had 30 corgis as pets over her lifetime, giving the breed its international recognition.

But the dog has been used for centuries to herd livestock.

Jean Milnes herds south of Adelaide with her female corgi, Tirion.

"[Corgis] have been herding since the Middle Ages at least, there is documentary evidence of them herding back in about 800AD," she said.

"I just got into it because I thought this would be fun to do to see if she could remember what her ancestors used to do."

Exercising instincts

There are few corgi herders in Australia now, but Ms Milne is hoping the popularity will boom after the death of the Queen, returning the breed to its farming roots.

"I still have the conversation with people who think corgis are wonderful, associate them with being the Queen's dog, and don't realise that they actually have a job to do," Ms Milnes said.

"There is ... going to be an influx of people wanting corgis for the next year or so, and it would be nice if they did something more than just go to the dog park."

Her corgi trains for herding competitions.

"We should be doing things that … dogs enjoy as well," she said.

"They need to be given the opportunity to achieve things.

"I think it is very important in any breed to maintain what they were intended to do."

Big brain, little legs

National Welsh Corgi Council secretary Sadie Podger said the dogs were very intelligent, which was needed when herding animals.

"Years ago … the farmers found that these dogs are actually quite smart and adapt to their conditions that they're in and found that they were the better of all the cattle type dogs that they had," she said.

Ms Podger said corgis were known as herd heelers because they could nip the rear legs of livestock to guide and direct the animal.

"When they herd they can roll from one side … of the cattle to the other side with that, and then sort of directing the cattle to where they want it, because cattle can be quite stubborn."

"They're low to the ground so they can drop their head a little bit, and basically the hoof goes over the top of their head where a taller dog could get hit in the head."

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Corgis have reached a 30-year peak in popularity following the Platinum Jubilee and Queen Elizabeth's death.

Breeders emphasize corgis' royal connection and unique characteristics to attract buyers.

Corgis' small size, short coat, and energetic personality make them appealing to buyers.

Breeders can highlight corgis' gentle, intelligent, loyal, and affectionate nature to attract buyers.

Breeders can highlight the breed's versatility as family pets and working dogs to appeal to potential buyers.

Dog breeders can emphasize the quality and heritage of their corgis by referencing the queen's 14 generations of corgis.

Title:

Content: Sunday, Sep 11, 2022

Annual ‘Tour de Corgi’ event to include new ‘Queen Elizabeth’ costume category to honour the monarch

“We all have a very strong affection for her as a fellow corgi lover," Tour de Corgi founder Tracy Stewart was quoted as saying

Queen Elizabeth II is seen walking in the private grounds of Windsor Castle, in England, on steps at the rear of the East Terrace and East Garden with four of her dogs: clockwise from top left Willow (corgi), Vulcan (dorgie), Candy (dorgie) and Holly (AP/PTI)

As a tribute to the late UK monarch Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away at the age of 96 at her Balmoral estate in Scotland on September 8, after reigning for 70 long years, the Tour de Corgi parade — an annual event that celebrates the dog breed corgi — will include a new element this year that is likely to make fans of the British royal family and corgi lovers happy.

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It is no secret that the queen was extremely fond of dogs, especially corgis, from a very early age, and that she had been breeding them until 2018, when she finally realised that she may have to leave some of them behind after her death.

According to Country Living, the queen had four dogs at the time of her death: two Pembroke Welsh Corgis, a Dorgi (Corgi-Dachshund mix), and a Cocker Spaniel named Lissy, who joined the family only this year, in January 2022.

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A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)

In her lifetime, she reportedly bred 14 generations of corgis, and even famously declared: “My corgis are family.”

According to an Independent report, Queen Elizabeth‘s love for her four-legged friends was well-documented during this year’s platinum jubilee celebrations in the UK, when the sky above Buckingham Palace was lit up with images of the dog breed.

The publication mentioned that the Tour de Corgi parade this year — which has been taking place in Fort Collins, Colorado since 2014 — will include a “Queen Elizabeth and her corgis” costume competition, in “memorium and to honour her”, quoting the event’s organisers who shared this with a local newspaper ‘The Coloradoan‘.

This is a May 12, 1973 file photo of Queen Elizabeth II sitting with her corgis, at Virginia Water to watch competitors, including Prince Philip in the Marathon of the European Driving Championship, part of the Royal Windsor Horse Show.

Tour de Corgi founder Tracy Stewart was quoted as saying, “We all have a very strong affection for her as a fellow corgi lover. I think it is just, you know, our dogs are such a big part of our hearts that it creates a very heartfelt connection.”

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The aforementioned event will take place on October 1, 2022, and will conclude with a corgi parade through the town.

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According to a Reader’s Digest report, the queen was fond of corgis because of their “energy and untamed spirit”, and the fact that her parents welcomed the family’s first corgi, Dookie, in 1933. Eleven years later, in 1944, the queen’s father gifted her a corgi named Susan for her 18th birthday. The pupper even accompanied her on her honeymoon, and gave birth to a pair of puppies in 1949, which reportedly marked the beginning of the royal line of corgis.

📣 For more lifestyle news, follow us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook and don’t miss out on the latest updates!

First published on: 11-09-2022 at 07:10:45 pm
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Dog breeders can appeal to royal family fans and corgi lovers by marketing the queen's love for corgis.


The Elgin Marbles, 17 marble sculptures, were removed from Athens' Parthenon temple by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century.

The sculptures are housed in the British Museum, considered among its greatest treasures, after being sold to the British government in 1816.

Greece has been requesting the return of the sculptures since gaining independence in 1832, a dispute that remains unresolved with the UK.

The British Museum claims the Parthenon Marbles should not be returned to Greece due to lack of a suitable location, but the Acropolis Museum in Athens is a top-ranked museum with a suitable space.

The Unesco Committee has ruled in favour of returning the Parthenon Marbles, citing restitution as a fundamental principle of cultural relations.

The British Museum may repatriate the Parthenon Marbles to Greece, a move supported by over half of the British people.

A deal to return the sculptures to Greece is being discussed, but legislation prohibits the British Museum from giving them away, so a loan may be possible.

The British Museum Act 1963 prohibits the permanent disposal of its collection, hindering the repatriation of the Elgin Marbles to Greece.

UNESCO can facilitate the repatriation of cultural properties like the Elgin Marbles through international cooperation.

The 1970 UNESCO Convention recognizes the illicit trade of cultural property as a main cause of cultural heritage loss.

A proposed UK-Greece cultural partnership could see the British Museum host previously unexhibited Greek artifacts.

The British Museum's chairman, George Osborne, has reportedly reached an agreement in principle with the Greek government to loan or return the marbles, potentially backed by UNESCO.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis is trying to broker a deal to return the Parthenon marbles to Greece by offering to loan Greek treasures to the British Museum in exchange.

A deal to return the Elgin Marbles to Greece is reportedly at an advanced stage, with the British Museum in talks with the Greek prime minister sinc

The Elgin Marbles, 17 marble sculptures, were removed from Athens' Parthenon temple by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century.

Title:

Content: LONDON (Reuters) - The historic Greek treasure of Elgin Marbles is nearing its return to its country of origin, 200 years after it was moved and ended up in the British Museum.
The Parthenon marble, seen as a symbol of freedom in Greece, was controversially moved out of the country by a British diplomat in a move that ignited a debate that lasted more than two centuries.
Greece has made repeated requests for the sculptures to be returned after they were controversially removed from one of the world ’ s most historic landmarks.
Prime Minister Rishi Sonak had been scheduled to meet his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday, but Downing Street canceled the arrangement and sent Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Duden instead.
The head of the British Museum, former Conservative Chancellor George Osborne, is pushing for a temporary loan to be returned to Greece, and is believed to have drawn up a deal.
But both Sonak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer say they will not support a change to the British Museum law that currently bars their return.
The museum said it was continuing "constructive discussions" about their possible return.
Gin Marble
The Algin marble is 17 sculptures that are 2,500 years old.
His pieces were part of a frieze that adorned the ancient Parthenon temple at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.
The marbles make up about half of the 160-meter-long frieze of the Parthenon Temple, which is considered one of the greatest cultural monuments in the world.
These sculptures are seen as symbols of freedom in Greece, where they are known as Parthenon marble.
British diplomat Lord Elgin removed the sculptures from the majestic Parthenon temple in the early 19th century.
At that time, he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, which ruled Greece.
Beginning in 1801, Lord Elgin is said to have supervised the removal of the marble and shipped it to the UK in 170 boxes.
He is said to have claimed to have obtained permission from the Ottoman Empire to move the marble, but despite massive documentation from that period, nothing was found to support his actions.
In the United Kingdom, Lord Elgin received support and criticism, and sold it to the United Kingdom government in 1816 before the marble was transferred to the custody of the British Museum.
The beginning and evolution of the dispute
The controversy between Greece and Britain can be traced back to when the marble first arrived in Britain due to criticism of its removal.
In 1832, Greece gained independence from the Ottoman Empire before it began trying to recover sculptures and other works of art taken from the country.
In the early 1980s, the actress and then Greek Minister of Culture, Melina Mercury, reignited the campaign when she made it her mission to secure the return of marble sculptures.
In 1983, she met with the director of the British Museum, Dr. David Wilson, in London to demand the return of the sculptures.
She continued to press the museum and the British government until her death in 1994.
Despite other requests and high-level media coverage, no agreement was reached in the years that followed.
A new campaign
In 2009, Greece stepped up its marble recovery campaign after opening a new museum at the foot of the Acropolis Hill, hoping one day to house it.
In 2014, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney called on Britain to start talks with Greece over the return of the Elgin marble.
The lawyer, who is the wife of Hollywood star George Clooney, said: "This is an injustice that has been going on for a long time, in a world full of intractable conflicts."
In 2015, Greece ruled out any legal action against the UK over Elgin Marbles.
In May 2022, the so-called Fagan fragment — a piece showing the foot of the ancient Greek goddess Artemis seated — was permanently returned to Athens from a museum in Italy.
It was originally part of the eastern frieze of the temple dating back to the 5th century BC.
The British reaction
In 2022, there were calls to make it easier for UK museums to consider returning cultural objects, but the government rejected them.
Former Conservative culture minister Lord Vaizi also headed a new body aimed at returning Elgin marble to Greece.
The refusal came after then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the Greek prime minister during talks at Downing Street in 2021 that the sculpture issue was "a matter for the curators of the British Museum".
Then, at the beginning of December, George Osborne, the head of the British Museum, reportedly held secret talks with the Greek prime minister about the possibility of returning the marble sculptures.
Negotiations between former Treasury Secretary Osborne and Kiriakos Mitsotakis have been taking place in London since November 2021, according to the Greek daily Ta Nea.
The Greek prime minister has on numerous occasions called for the relocation of the sculptures, and even offered to lend other treasures to the British Museum in return.
A spokesman for Project Parthenon, a campaign advocating the return of marble sculptures, hailed the talks as a “positive sign ” that a“ win-win solution ” to the centuries-old debate could be reached.
Possible deal?
In December last year, Downing Street said there were no plans to change the law that prohibits the museum from disposing of objects in its collection except in very limited circumstances.
A spokesman for the prime minister said: “The Parthenon sculptures are legally owned by trustees and are practically independent of the government. ”
Last month, the British Museum issued a statement saying it would not dismantle its collection “because it tells a unique story of our common humanity, ” but added that it wanted to forge a new“ Parthenon partnership ” with Greece.
The talks in Westminster were used by former culture minister Lord Vaizi to press again for the return of the sculptures.
He said that the frieze in Athens "resembles a film that was cut in half and half of it was moved against the will of its owners to another country."
After cancelling the bilateral meeting between Sonak and Mitsotakis on Tuesday, the Greek leader said he was "disappointed".
Mr Sonak said the UK “has no plans to change our approach ” but“ did not ask him [Mr Mitsotakis] what short-term or new ideas have been put forward ”.
Starmer and Mitsotakis Meet
Opposition Labour leader Sir Kiir Starmer met Mitsotakis on Monday.
A source close to Labour leader Sir Kiir Starmer told the Financial Times he was unlikely to change the law if he won the next election.
"We are committed to the current law, but if a mutually acceptable loan deal can be agreed between the British Museum and the Greek government, we will not stand in the way."
Is the agreement possible?
The head of the National Museum, George Osborne, is understood to have drawn up a deal with Athens, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Current legislation bars the museum from legally granting treasures, but Osborne is said to be seeking to repatriate the antiquities as part of a long-term "cultural exchange."
But this loan deal is not expected to permanently end the long-running dispute.
The article was prepared from the site of (Sky News) British channel:
https: / / news.sky.com / story / elgin-marbles-what-are-they-and-how-did-they-end-up-in-the-british-museum-12779617

The sculptures are housed in the British Museum, considered among its greatest treasures, after being sold to the British government in 1816.

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Content: Opinion

Bring them home

At the end of August, it was reported that around 2,000 artefacts, including gold jewellery and gems, had been stolen from the British Museum over a long period of time.

Chairman of the trustees, George Osborne acknowledged that the museum’s reputation has suffered as a result of its mishandling of the thefts, which sparked outrage after it was revealed that most of the stolen antiquities may never be recovered due to the museum’s poor record keeping, raising questions about security and leadership.

For decades, the British Museum has argued that the Parthenon Marbles should not be returned to Greece since the country lacks a suitable location for their display.

The Acropolis Museum, on the other hand, has solidified its place among the world’s top ten best museums and is the go-to museum in Athens where one can readily understand why Greece is considered the cradle of Western civilization. So, why not return the Parthenon marbles to their rightful home, and how did they end up in the British Museum in the first place?

In the early 1800s, when British aristocrat Lord Elgin sailed home from Greece, he also shipped to England some of the greatest treasures of antiquity, which included a collection of Greek statues and carved frieze panels that once decorated the Parthenon in Athens.

The so-called Elgin Marbles were later sold to the British government with the approval of the Ottomans who ruled Greece at the time and became the most storied artefacts in the British Museum’s collection. They also became the subject of perhaps the world’s most notorious cultural dispute.

The British maintain that the marbles were legally acquired and they belong in a universal museum alongside other artefacts, excluding the 2,000 that were now reportedly stolen. The Greeks, on the other hand, view them as looted treasures that form the cornerstone of their national heritage.

For decades, the issue of the Parthenon Marbles has been on the agenda of the Unesco Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property (ICPRCP). In fact, it was Melina Mercouri, the Greek Minister of Culture at the time, who raised the matter of their return during the 1982 Unesco World Conference.

Although the forum ruled in favour of the cause, stating that restitution of works illegally removed from their countries of origin is a fundamental principle of people-to-people cultural relations, Mercouri’s British counterpart responded that the UK Government “could not intervene in the affairs of a private establishment like the British Museum.”

While efforts are underway to retrieve the stolen antiquities, the British Museum’s collections may never be recovered because the museum’s records only identify the collection as a whole and fail to list the individual pieces.

This is not the first time the museum’s image as a safe keeper of global treasures has been called into doubt. The poor condition of the British Museum’s western block has been recorded numerous times. Images of water leaking into the Parthenon gallery were broadcast on Greek television in 2018, resulting from a cracked glass ceiling pane. Although the glass was replaced with new fixings and no sculptures were destroyed, a leaking roof in 2021 resulted in water seeping through, once again, delaying the reopening of the Greek galleries following the pandemic.

The British Museum claimed that none of the statues had been damaged and the issue was addressed. However, for Greece, these events demonstrate that the British Museum is failing to care for the Parthenon Marbles, reinforcing the country’s legitimate claim that the sculptures be permanently returned to Athens.

Earlier this year, the British Museum moved closer to a landmark agreement with Athens that could result in the return of the marbles. Although existing legislation makes it illegal to give away treasures, Osborne is reportedly seeking to repatriate the Parthenon Marbles as part of a cultural exchange that would see other Greek antiques displayed at the British Museum. Over half of the British people support their repatriation to Greece.

Hundreds of statues from the Archaic and Classical periods can be found at the ultramodern Acropolis Museum. The top level is the museum’s showcase, which provides a visual link to the Acropolis and allows visitors to view both the monument and its sculptures. The majority of the Parthenon Marbles will be displayed there upon their anticipated return.

The Parthenon Sculptures were made in Greece by Greeks to honour the glory of Greece. They represent millions of people’s cultural identities. Greece is their true home. It is where they belong.

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Content: International
International News
Chinese Premier Urges Return of Bart's Stone Sculpture
The British and Greek governments have been embroiled in a dispute over the marble sculpture of the Parthenon (also known as the Elgin Marbles).
British Prime Minister John Sinclair abruptly canceled a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Mitsotakis on Tuesday.
A spokesman for Sin explained yesterday that Mitsotakis had cancelled his meeting with the other side because he had failed to honour his promise to not publicly dispute the ownership of the stone carvings.
Mitsotakis, in an interview with the British media earlier, demanded that Britain return the famous stolen stone sculpture.
Prime Minister Xi: As Mona Lisa cut half
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who is visiting Britain on Sunday, said in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on the same day that he will discuss the issue of "the return of the British Museum to the marble carvings of the Parthenon Temple in Greece" during his meeting with Mr Sim.
He pointed out that the British Museum should return the stone carvings to Greece, describing some of the artefacts in London and others in Athens as cutting the Mona Lisa in half.
He also criticized the slow progress of negotiations to return the sculpture.
Mitsotakis was scheduled to meet with Mr Sim for 45 minutes in London at noon on Tuesday, but was told the day before that the meeting had been cancelled.
He hinted to reporters on Monday night that Mr. Xin had no guts to discuss the heritage issue with him.
British Conservative Party sources quoted by the BBC said the meeting was unlikely to continue after Mitsotakis made remarks about the stone carvings.
The source said that the British side's position is clear that the stone sculptures will always be the British Museum's collection.
The Guardian reported that Mitsotakis met with the leader of the British opposition Labour Party, Shih Chi-hsien, on Monday, which is believed to be another reason for the failure of the meeting with Xin Wei-cheng.
In 1801, Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, a British diplomat, shipped the stone carvings from Greece to Britain.
British public opinion at the time disputed this.
After much debate, the British Parliament decided not to pursue the Earl of Elgin, who sold the stone sculpture to the British government in 1816 and eventually hid it in the British Museum.
(BBC / The Guardian)
Related Words: British Museum Battersea Temple Kyriakos Mitsotakis Rishi Sunak Anglo-Greek Relations Elgin Stone Sculpture
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Content: UK refuses to return Parthenon marble to Greece
Daily Morning and Agencies
Istanbul, Turkey
Posted at 16.01.2023 11: 13
Last update at 16.01.2023 11: 14
Elgin marble sculpture at the British Museum in London (French)
Britain ’ s culture minister has ruled out a permanent return of Parthenon marble to Greece amid reports that a “cultural exchange ” has almost been agreed with Athens.
Minister Michelle Donilan told BBC Radio that the deal, reportedly negotiated by British Museum chief George Osborne, was not about the permanent return of ancient sculptures to Greece.
Donilan said this was "not final or permanent", referring to the deal by Osborne, former finance minister under former prime minister David Cameron.
Such a move would “open the door to the question of the full contents of our museums. ”
The sculpture, also known as Elgin marble, was taken from the Parthenon Temple in the Acropolis of Athens in the early 19th century by British diplomat Thomas Bruce, nicknamed the 8th Earl of Elgin.
Secret talks between Osborne and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis were reportedly held for a year.
The Daily Telegraph earlier this month, citing media sources, said the reported deal, effectively a loan agreement for the sculpture, could result in the 2,500-year-old relics returning “sooner rather than later. ”
Such an arrangement could circumvent the legal ban on the museum dismantling its huge collection.
Donilan said separately: “Museums are not able to return artifacts legally permanently, which I fully agree with. ”
“A lot of people talked about lending the sculpture for 100 years, which I don ’ t think is in line with the spirit of legislation at all, ” she said, adding that this was not what Osborne was planning to do.
She added that the UK does not want to give up things that have become "national property...
It was seen by people from all over the world, "which the state took great care to preserve.
Elgin VIII took the sculpture when he was British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, and Greece today insists that the marble artifact was stolen, so Athens has waged a long campaign for its return while the UK asserts it was legally obtained.
The return of the marble sculpture remains a highly sensitive topic as the British Museum ’ s huge collection includes many items that other countries now consider looted after being taken over by the builders of the British Empire while the government is wary of setting such a precedent.

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Home > News > Parthenon marbles are to remain in the British Museum

Parthenon marbles are to remain in the British Museum

The museum might yet arrange for the sculptures to be loaned. But Sunak stated that there are no plans to change the statute, which specifies that the museum can only dispose of pieces in its collection under certain circumstances.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has ruled out amending a regulation that prevents the British Museum from permanently returning the Parthenon marbles to Greece.

Sunak confirmed that they have no intention of altering the existing regulations, which limit the museum’s ability to sell or dispose of pieces in its collection except under specific circumstances.

Sunak is unlikely to break with the stances of his two predecessors, who were both against any kind of loan of the marbles to Greece.

“The UK has cared for the Elgin Marbles for generations. Our galleries and museums are funded by taxpayers because they are a huge asset to this country,” Sunak told reporters on his plane as he flew to the United States on monday

“We share their treasures with the world, and the world comes to the UK to see them. The collection of the British Museum is protected by law, and we have no plans to change it.”

Since its independence in 1832, Greece has repeatedly demanded the return of the statues known as the Elgin Marbles, which were stolen from the Parthenon temple in Athens by British ambassador Lord Elgin in the early nineteenth century, while Greece was under Ottoman domination.

George Osborne, a former finance minister and the chair of the British Museum, has been collaborating with Greece to develop a new agreement that would enable the Parthenon sculptures to be displayed in both Athens and London. The Parthenon Project, which has received support from politicians across various parties in the UK, announced on Sunday that a long-term cultural partnership agreement could potentially facilitate the return of the British Museum’s Parthenon collection to Greece.

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Content: People 's Network > > International
These artefacts set off a "war of words" between Greece and Britain
November 30, 2023 09: 14 | Source: Xinhua Network
Small number
Xinhua News Agency, BEIJING, November 29 (Xinhua) -- A war of words between Greece and Britain over the stone carvings of the Parthenon temple of the Acropolis was escalated on the 28th.
The two countries pointed to each other's actions, which led to the leaders' scheduled meeting on the same day.
Greece, Britain blame each other for meeting cancellation
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is scheduled to meet with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Saturday.
However, his remarks in an interview with the British media gave Sunak a last-minute break.
In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Mitsotakis said that the stone carvings of the Parthenon on display at the British Museum "belong to Greece, and it was stolen."
In his view, this is not a dispute over ownership, but a matter of “reunification. ”
Mitsotakis also asked: If the world famous painting Mona Lisa is cut in half and placed in a museum in a different country, will people still appreciate its beauty?
This is a Parthenon marble sculpture taken at the British Museum in London, England, on September 7.
Photo by Xinhua reporter Li Ying
Mitsotakis's remarks caused dissatisfaction with the British side.
Reuters reported on the 28th, citing news from Sunak's office, that the Greek side had previously promised that it would not use Mitsotakis's visit to "re-raise the issue that has been resolved for a long time", that is, the question of the ownership of the stone carvings of the Parthenon Temple.
Sunak's spokesman told reporters that the British side decided to cancel the meeting because the Greek side had "not kept its promise."
Richie Sunak speaks in front of the Prime Minister ’ s House at 10 Downing Street, London, UK, on October 25, 2022.
Photo by Xinhua reporter Li Ying
The BBC quoted a Greek source as saying the Greek side had not made the British commitment.
AFP quoted a Greek government source as saying that the issue of the Parthenon stone carvings was "routinely included in the agenda of the meeting along with other bilateral and international issues" and that "10 Downing Street is aware of this".
Mitsotakis expressed "displeasure" at the British side's temporary cancellation of the meeting and ended his visit to Britain ahead of schedule.
A man visits a Parthenon marble carving at the British Museum in London, UK, on September 7, 2023.
Photo by Xinhua reporter Li Ying
The decision to cancel the meeting has raised questions in the UK.
Former Minister of State for Culture and Digital Economy Ed Weezy, a consultant to the Parthenon Project, told Sky News that the British side's previous position was that the issue of the Parthenon stone carvings should be resolved by the British Museum itself, and that Sunak "did not need" to intervene in this way, which would be detrimental to the relationship between Britain and Greece.
The stalemate between the two sides is difficult to resolve.
Greek Labour and Social Welfare Minister Azzonis Georgiades told the BBC that Mitsotakis's comments about the Parthenon stone carvings were not only personal, but also "the unanimous view of 11 million Greeks", as well as many people around the world.
In the early 19th century, the British diplomat Thomas Bruce, Count of Elgin, obtained "permission" from the authorities in Turkey's Ottoman Greece to cut large numbers of stone carvings from the Parthenon and bring them back to Britain.
The British government later acquired the stone carvings and exhibited them as a collection of the British Museum.
Greece has long demanded that the British Museum permanently return the stone carvings it has collected since 1816, but the British side refused.
Currently, the British Museum and the Acropolis Museum in Greece display different parts of the Parthenon stone sculpture, while the British Museum on display sculpture is called the "Elgin Marble", is the essence of the stone sculpture.
According to AFP, many museums in Western countries, including the British Museum, are under increasing pressure to return cultural relics plundered from other countries.
British law stipulates that the British Museum may not remove the collection from the collection except in certain circumstances, but the law does not prohibit lending.
The British Museum has previously negotiated long-term "loan" of stone sculptures and other plans with Greece.
However, the Greek side does not seem to be able to accept the "loan" proposal.
A spokesman for Mr Sunak said the loan was conditional on Greece accepting the British Museum as the rightful owner. (Reporter: Wang Yijun; video: Tan Ran; editors: Chen Dan, Qiao Ying, Liang Shanggang, Wang Fengfeng)
(Edited by: Cui Ziguo, Cui Yue)
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Greece has been requesting the return of the sculptures since gaining independence in 1832, a dispute that remains unresolved with the UK.

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Content: Pressure grows on other restitution cases ahead of first Benin bronze return - Museums Association

Pressure grows on other restitution cases ahead of first Benin bronze return

Several breakthroughs this year have put long-running disputes under the microscope
Geraldine Kendall Adams
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Later this month the University of Cambridge will become the first institution in the UK to officially repatriate a Benin bronze to Nigeria.

Delegates from the country's Benin City, where the sculptures were looted by British forces in the punitive expedition of 1897, will be present for a handover ceremony at Jesus College on 27 October, where they will receive a bronze cockerel that was acquired by the university in 1905.

The milestone is the latest in a year of significant breakthroughs in the dispute over the sculptures; in March, the Ethnological Museum in Berlin's Humboldt Forum announced that it would enter talks with Nigeria to fully repatriate its Benin bronze holdings, and shortly after the University of Aberdeen said it would unconditionally return a Benin sculpture from its collections.

With the issue of restitution under the spotlight like never before, pressure has grown on UK institutions to resolve other long-running disputes over objects acquired in the colonial era.

Last month, a Unesco committee issued a resolution urging the UK Government to revisit its stance on the Parthenon Marbles, which have been the subject of a longstanding repatriation claim by the Greek government. Unesco's International Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property criticised the conditions in which the sculptures are held at the British Museum.

Following the committee session, Greece’s culture minister Lina Mendoni said: “Together with the recommendation that was issued – referring to the poor conditions of exposure that the sculptures are kept in at the British Museum – Greece also achieved a decision from the Intergovernmental Committee that pertains specifically to the return of the Parthenon sculptures.”

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She added: “The committee urgently calls on the United Kingdom to review its position and enter into a discussion with Greece, recognising that the issue is of an intergovernmental nature – in contrast to claims from the British side that it is a matter for the British Museum – and mainly that Greece has a valid and legal claim to demand the return of the sculptures to their place of birth.”

Museums Journal understands that the resolution was met with anger at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), where relations with Unesco have been strained by the international heritage body's decision earlier this year to strip Liverpool’s waterfront of world heritage status, as well as its criticism of the planned Stonehenge tunnel.

A statement from the DCMS said: “We disagree with the committee’s decision adopted in the closing minutes of the session and are raising issues relating to fact and procedure with Unesco. Our position is clear – the Parthenon Sculptures were acquired legally in accordance with the law at the time. The British Museum operates independently of the government and free from political interference. All decisions relating to collections are taken by the museum's trustees.”

British Museum trustees have also made clear that they believe Unesco involvement “isn't the best way forward”. A statement from the institution said: “The British Museum has a long history of collaboration with Unesco and admires and supports its work. The trustees of the British Museum have a legal and moral responsibility to preserve and maintain all the collections in their care and to make them accessible to world audiences.

“The trustees want to strengthen existing good relations with colleagues and institutions in Greece, and to explore collaborative ventures directly between institutions, not on a government-to-government basis. This is why we believe that working in partnership across the world represents the best way forward. Museums holding Greek works, whether in Greece, the UK or elsewhere in the world, are naturally united to show the importance of the legacy of ancient Greece. The British Museum is committed to playing its full part in sharing the value of that legacy.”

Campaigners have also called on the British Museum to return a collection of sacred altar tablets – which have never been displayed or studied due to their sanctity – to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The items were taken during the British military assault on Maqdala in 1868.

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A letter to British Museum trustees this month, signed by high-profile figures including writer Lemn Sissay and former archbishop of Canterbury George Carey, said: “We believe that today the British Museum has a unique opportunity to build a lasting and meaningful bridge of friendship between Britain and Ethiopia by handing the tabots back to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.”

The museum’s longstanding position is that the British Museum Act of 1963 legally prevents it from restituting objects, but a new legal opinion, which was sought by campaigners, claims that the tabots could be lawfully returned under a provision in the act allowing for the disposal of objects “unfit to be retained” that can be disposed “without detriment to the interests of students”.

The British Museum is also facing questions about its Benin bronze holdings. A group of contemporary Nigerian artists made headlines worldwide last month when they offered to exchange the historic sculptures for their own works.

“We never stopped making the bronzes even after those ones were stolen,” Osarobo Zeickner-Okoro, a founding member of the Ahiamwen Guild, told Reuters news agency at the time. “I think we make them even better now.”

The British Museum says it is engaged in “sustained and open dialogues” with Nigeria concerning the Benin collections. It is part of the Benin Dialogue Group assisting with the development of the new Edo Museum of West African Art in Benin City, and is also involved in an archaeology project in the city. The British Museum has committed to long-term loans but has not changed its stance on restitution.

Regarding its Maqdala collections, the institution says: “Discussions with Ethiopian partners concerning the Maqdala collections are continuing and the museum is actively invested in these.”

Some heritage professionals have hit back at simplistic media coverage of the issue. In a letter to the Guardian this week, Mike Pitts, editor of British Archaeology magazine, wrote: “The futures of museum collections and public statues are often portrayed by lobbyists and media as a fight between retainers and disposers. The real work is happening behind the scenes: people building new communities on the back of new engagements and research.”

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Italy returns Parthenon fragment to Greece amid UK row over marbles

Loan deal could renew pressure on Britain to repatriate ancient Parthenon marbles to Athens

Italy is returning a fragment belonging to the Parthenon’s eastern frieze to Greece in a breakthrough deal that could renew pressure on Britain to repatriate the 2,500-year-old Parthenon marbles removed by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century.

The marble fragment, which depicts the foot of a goddess, either Peitho or Artemis, peeking out from beneath an elaborate tunic, is currently held at the Antonino Salinas Regional Archaeological Museum in Palermo, Sicily. It was originally bought by the University of Palermo from the widow of Robert Fagan, the British consul for Sicily and Malta, after his death in 1816.

The artefact is being returned on a four-year loan as part of a cultural exchange agreement between Sicily and Greece, with the intention for the loan period to be extended by a further four years. However, the move back to Greece could eventually become permanent.

In return, the Acropolis Museum in Athens will loan the Palermo museum a 5th-century BC headless statue of the goddess Athena, as well as an 8th-century BC amphora.

The deal, which includes an exchange of cultural initiatives between the two museums, comes after several years of negotiations between Sicilian and Greek authorities.

“Sending back to the context of its origins a small, but significant, fragment belonging to the Parthenon has a very strong symbolic value,” said Sicily’s councillor for culture, Alberto Samonà. “It is also a response to the international debate [about the Parthenon artefacts]. But I don’t want to get into that debate. For us, this is a gesture of friendship – Greece and Sicily are two areas of the Mediterranean that share a common story.”

The fragment was loaned to Greece in 2002 and in 2008. Samonà said the latest transfer could become permanent, but that it would be up to the Italian culture ministry to take the measures needed to make that happen.

It is not known how Fagan, an amateur archaeologist, acquired the fragment, although one theory suggests it might have been given to him by Elgin, the British aristocrat who excavated the bulk of the ancient Parthenon marbles between 1801 and 1804 before selling them to the British Museum in 1816, where the artefacts are currently on display.

Greece has long fought for the marbles to be repatriated from the UK. In November, the Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, demanded that Britain return the marbles to Greece, while at the same time offering to loan some Greek historical treasures to the British Museum. In response, Downing Street said returning the marbles was a matter for the British Museum. The UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, had previously said the marbles would remain in Britain, arguing that they were legally acquired.

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Content: Why we need a G20 League of Looted Nations to take on the museums

As G20 has members from both sides — the looted and the looters — there is a wonderful opportunity to form an official consensus regarding fast repatriation of items of invaluable cultural significance. Pooling information and devising mechanisms that can cut red-tape would be a huge achievement

Reshmi Dasgupta May 18, 2023 21:27:30 IST

Replica of the Koh-i-Noor diamond. Image courtesy: Wikimedia Commons/ aiva

When it comes to looted antiquities, it is not often that the looters and the looted gather in the same forum. The G20 is one such, and serendipitously India — one of the most looted — is the chair this year. China, another nation whose treasures repose in museums around the world, is also a member. And despite the ongoing froideur over borders and other issues, looted antiquities is one point on which they cannot but agree. Is it not time, then, for a bold new initiative?

It could be called the League of Looted Nations. And given the widespread belief that the United Nations is now just a tax-free sinecure rather than a body that makes a real difference anymore, India’s move for a consensus on repatriation of important items of cultural heritage to the countries they belong to could be just what is needed. More so as repositories of these treasures — whether publicly or privately owned — have been able to fob off single-nation efforts.

On #InternationalMuseumDay, it is time to rethink the role of museums in this. Tourists marvel at displays in museums and galleries, sparing little thought as to how they got there. Museums and universities have recently been erasing the Sackler name from galleries, libraries and halls donated by the family as their fortune came from opioids. Benefits begotten from slavery are also being rejected. Why is there no similar protest against illegal antiquities in museums abroad?

Mainly because there has been no concerted effort by looted nations to publicise the stealing of their cultural heritage — and its ramifications. The issue has so far been conveniently regarded as the domain of individual nations not a common problem that unifies many. So each looted country takes its case to the offending nation, with limited success. The public of the nations where looted cultural heritage is displayed in museums remains largely unaware of the issues.

Take the long and so far futile battle of Greece to get back the so-called Elgin Marbles — segments of the Parthenon — from the British Museum. Such has been the difficulty to get the British to budge that a move by the current BM head George Osborne to “loan” the priceless friezes back to Greece is being seen as a victory. No one is calling out the brazenness of the British! How can something that belongs to Greece be “loaned” to it by those who carted it off?

India has also been fighting for the return for antiquities, although the Kohinoor gets most of the publicity on this count. The fact is that the diamond is just the most blingy of the treasures that the British got from India via questionable means during the Raj. There are many more Indian treasures in their clutches, including huge sections of the Amaravati Stupa, Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s throne, the copper Sultanganj Buddha and Tipu Sultan’s sword, ring and wooden tiger.

The then British Prime Minister David Cameron wasn’t kidding when on a visit to India in 2010 he ruled out the return of the Kohinoor saying. “If you (Britain) say yes to one, you suddenly find the British Museum would be empty. I think, I am afraid to say… it is going to have to stay put.” Some Indian artefacts have indeed been returned by the UK since 2010, but notably, none of those mentioned above. Clearly wider and more sustained action is needed to get results.

That is why India’s emphasis on righting wrongs in the cultural space at G20 is timely. In the 21st century there is no basis for the old canard that museums and private collections (mostly in Western nations and former colonial powers) offer more secure spaces than the countries’ treasures had been “obtained” from. As these columns have always asserted, such institutions have been committing a crime against nations by continuing to keep their cultural heritage.

The West so far has done mostly lip service on the matter of protecting and returning looted cultural artefacts. And bureaucratic red-tape has ensured that the return of antiquities is delayed. Meanwhile, priceless “collections” in museums that clearly have no business to be there rather than in the places of worship or other monuments they were looted from, continue to be displayed and “studied” by scholars. Including those from the countries they were looted from!

The Paris Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property signed in 1970 under the aegis of UNESCO (and endorsed by 143 nations so far) laid down admirably specific conditions. But antiquities of many nations including India are still in museums and collections when they could not have been procured by means acceptable by today’s standards as looting no longer qualifies.

Article 2 of the convention says, “Parties to this Convention recognize that the illicit import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property is one of the main causes of the impoverishment of the cultural heritage of the countries of origin of such property and that international co-operation constitutes one of the most efficient means of protecting each country’s cultural property against all the dangers resulting there from.” What has this “recognition” achieved?

The document also virtuously states that “Parties undertake to oppose such practices with the means at their disposal, and particularly by removing their causes, putting a stop to current practices, and by helping to make the necessary reparations…The import, export or transfer of ownership of cultural property effected contrary to the provisions adopted under this Convention by the States Parties thereto, shall be illicit.” More sound and fury signifying nothing.

Obviously so, as the notorious Subhash Kapoor’s trade in illegal antiquities from India and elsewhere flourished abroad after 1970. He and many others cocked a snook at these toothless pronouncements, particularly Article 7 which said member states would take “necessary measures…to prevent museums and similar institutions… from acquiring cultural property originating in another State Party which has been illegally exported” after this convention “took effect”.

The convention also says that at the request of an aggrieved country (via diplomatic channels and with supporting documents), the nation to which cultural property had been illegally imported should “take appropriate steps to recover and return” those items but with a caveat that “the requesting State shall pay just compensation to an innocent purchaser or to a person who has valid title to that property”. How can any title be ‘valid’ if it belongs to another country?

By that logic, of course, Greece should simply pay Britain for the return of the Parthenon pieces carted off by Lord Elgin and India should do the same to get the Kohinoor back — after some solid haggling, presumably. Of course, given Britain’s dire economic situation at present, this may seem an attractive proposition—monetise the treasures Britons stole in centuries past, to tide over its crisis today. But there is little reason for looted nations to oblige.

As G20 has members from both sides — the looted and the looters — there is a wonderful opportunity to form an official consensus regarding fast repatriation of items of invaluable cultural significance. Pooling information and devising mechanisms that can cut red-tape would be a huge achievement. Of course then institutions like the British Museum will have to come to terms with their own past — and display non-looted alternatives in their emptied galleries.

The author is a freelance writer. Views expressed are personal.

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The British Museum claims the Parthenon Marbles should not be returned to Greece due to lack of a suitable location, but the Acropolis Museum in Athens is a top-ranked museum with a suitable space.

The Unesco Committee has ruled in favour of returning the Parthenon Marbles, citing restitution as a fundamental principle of cultural relations.

The British Museum may repatriate the Parthenon Marbles to Greece, a move supported by over half of the British people.

A deal to return the sculptures to Greece is being discussed, but legislation prohibits the British Museum from giving them away, so a loan may be possible.

The British Museum Act 1963 prohibits the permanent disposal of its collection, hindering the repatriation of the Elgin Marbles to Greece.

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Content: Greek premier to meet Starmer and Sunak in renewed push to return Elgin marbles

Kyriakos Mitsotakis due to meet Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer in London next week

Matt Mathers
Saturday 25 November 2023 23:43
Comments
Elgin Marbles: British Museum lends statue

Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is set to raise the issue of the Parthenon sculptures with the UK next week.

He is reportedly due to hold talks with Labour leader Keir Starmer on Monday and prime minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday and will raise the subject with both.

The Financial Times reported that Mr Starmer was open to a potential loan deal that would see parts of the ancient sculptures returned. Labour declined to comment.

The 2,500-year-old sculptures, also known as the Eglin Marbles, were taken from Athens to Britain by agents of Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Eglin, in the early 19th century and never returned. Greece says they were stolen, sparking a bitter and long-running dispute with the UK.

Housed in their own dedicated room, the sculptures of Olympian gods and goddesses, centaurs and warriors are among the greatest at the British Museum.

A 1963 Act of Parliament stops the British Museum from permanently handing them back.

George Osborne, the museum’s chair and the former Conservative Party MP and chancellor, has backed a loan deal.

“I hope we’ll find a way to partner with Greece so that a portion of the Marbles spend part of their time in Athens . . . and we see more of their treasures in return,” he wrote in The Spectator last week. Mr Osborne conceded that “we may well not succeed” but that it was “surely worth the effort”.

The proposed deal, which Mr Osborne and Mr Mitsotakis have held secret talks over, would allow the sculptures to return to Athens in exchange for Greek treasures being displayed in London.

Many of the artworks in question are in storage in museum vaults and have never before been seen.

Mr Mitsotakis, who has said it is his “passion” to get the sculptures back, is scheduled to meet both party leaders next week. He intends to raise the issue in both meetings, a person close to him told the FT.

Mr Sunak is said to be not opposed to the idea of a loan deal but sceptical that the sculptures would ever be returned if they were loaned to Greece, according to the paper.

No 10 has been contacted for comment.

A UK government spokesperson told the FT: “The UK has cared for the Elgin Marbles for generations.

“Our galleries and museums are funded by taxpayers because they are a huge asset to this country. “

We share their treasures with the world, and the world comes to the UK to see them. The collection of the British Museum is protected by law, and we have no plans to change it.”

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Content: UK museums strike loan deal to return Asante Gold to Ghana that was looted over 100 years ago

25 January 2024, 07:25 | Updated: 25 January 2024, 07:27

By Jenny Medlicott

The UK is returning a selection of Asante Gold looted from Ghana over 100 years ago in a historic loan deal.

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The British Museum has struck a deal to return 15 pieces of the gold to Ghana and the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) 17 pieces, under a new three-year loan deal.

Loan deals are used as a way to enable collections to return to their countries of origin.

The Ghanian loan deal, which can be extended by an additional three years, was agreed with Otumfo Osei Tutu II, the current Asante king known as the Asantehene.

Some national museums in the UK, including the V&A and British Museum, are prohibited from permanently returning such items to their countries of origin.

The items will reportedly go on display at the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi, the capital of the Asante region, to celebrate the Asantehene's silver jubilee.

Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A, said the gold items taken from the court of the Asante King are the equivalent of "our Crown Jewels".

Mr Hunt also said when museums "hold objects with origins in war and looting in military campaigns, we have a responsibility to the countries of origin to think about how we can share those more fairly today.

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"It doesn't seem to me that all of our museums will fall down if we build up these kind of partnerships and exchanges,” he told the BBC.

It is hoped the historic deal will pave the way for handling other repatriation disputes - potentially including the long-running dispute over the Elgin Marbles.

Ghana’s chief operation said he hoped the deal would bring a “a new sense of cultural co-operation” following years of anger.

However, some have expressed concern that accepting the items on loan could be seen as acceptance of the UK’s ownership of the contested items.

Most of the items were taken during 19th-century wars between the British and the Asante.

A sword of state and gold badges worn by officials charged with cleansing the soul of the king are among the items to be returned.

The artefacts are seen as a symbol of the Asante royal government and are believed to hold the spirits of former Asante kings.

As for other contested artefacts held by British museums, in the case of the Elgin Marbles, a senior British Museum has source said the museum was “still exploring if there is an arrangement that would allow some of the Parthenon sculptures to travel to Greece”.

It is hoped deals such as these could help provide a solution to former colonial nations requesting the return of their cultural treasures.

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Content:
Send Them Home

The Elgin Marbles, actually the Parthenon Marbles, have been Greek for over two thousand years and still are in every way except location. They were taken, realistically stolen, by Lord Elgin in the early 1800s and most people believe should be returned but that is actually illegal under British Museum Act 1963 and offers to ‘lend’ them are insulting.

One of the most obvious concerns that many museums have is that they would be emptied of items that were acquired, a weasel word for stolen, during times when the attitudes were different. Different attitudes do not condone theft.

Let’s return the thefts of the past to their rightful owners and put the past attitudes in the rubbish bin of time.

Dennis Fitzgerald,
Melbourne, Australia

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UNESCO can facilitate the repatriation of cultural properties like the Elgin Marbles through international cooperation.

Title:

Content: Signing ceremony of the agreement on the return of antiquities between Tunisia and Norway
On the occasion of the signing of an agreement for the return of antiquities signed between the Ministry of Cultural Affairs represented by the National Institute of Heritage and the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History in Oslo, a ceremony was organized yesterday, Wednesday, at the Ministry's headquarters, the handover of 30 archaeological coins belonging to the historical period of Carthaginian.
The signing and handover ceremony took place under the supervision of the Minister of Cultural Affairs Hayat Katat Al-Qurmazi and in the presence of the researcher of the University of Oslo and the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History, "Roland Haakon", and Yusuf Al-Ashkham, who is in charge of the management of the National Heritage Institute, in addition to a number of ministry cadres.
The Minister praised the joint efforts of Tunisian-Norwegian to implement this operation, which came as a result of the efforts exerted by the Tunisian and Norwegian governments to address the smuggling of cultural property, stressing that this was at the request of the Tunisian state to return the objects in accordance with international treaties, especially the UNESCO Convention of 1970 on the means of banning and manufacturing Esteride. Unlawful management and transfer of cultural property after it has been found to have been transferred without prior authorization.
The minister highlighted the keenness of the Tunisian government and various institutions concerned with heritage to "preserve and preserve the cultural heritage by following up archaeological objects inside and outside the country and focusing on combating the phenomenon of illicit trafficking in cultural property."
Researcher Roland Haakon expressed his country's continued readiness to support bilateral efforts in addressing the phenomenon of smuggling and trafficking in cultural property, highlighting the value represented by the cultural and heritage heritage of countries and peoples and the definition of identity and belonging that this heritage translates into.
He stressed his readiness to further consolidate opportunities for cooperation between Tunisia and Norway in various research and scientific fields related to heritage and ways of valuing and preserving it.

The 1970 UNESCO Convention recognizes the illicit trade of cultural property as a main cause of cultural heritage loss.

A proposed UK-Greece cultural partnership could see the British Museum host previously unexhibited Greek artifacts.

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Greek prime minister tries to broker deal for return of Parthenon marbles

Kyriakos Mitsotakis offers to loan Greek treasures to British Museum if ‘stolen’ sculptures are returned to Acropolis

The Greek prime minister has demanded that the 2,500-year-old Parthenon marbles, which he accuses Britain of stealing, be returned to Greece, and even offered to loan some of his country’s treasures to the British Museum in an attempt to broker a deal.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis told the Daily Telegraph that the sculptures, also known as the Elgin marbles, belong in the Acropolis Museum in Athens.

However, Boris Johnson has previously ruled out returning them on the grounds that they were acquired legally.

Mitsotakis said: “Our position is very clear. The marbles were stolen in the 19th century; they belong in the Acropolis Museum and we need to discuss this issue in earnest.

“I am sure that if there was a willingness on the part of the government to move we could find an arrangement with the British Museum in terms of us sending abroad cultural treasures on loan, which have never left the country.”

The marbles were removed from the Acropolis more than 200 years ago by Lord Elgin in circumstances that have spurred one of the world’s most famous cultural rows and have long been the subject of dispute.

Mitsotakis said he would raise the issue with Johnson when the two meet next week for talks that could shape future relations between the two countries.

“Refusing to discuss the topic seems to me, given the context of everything that has been happening in terms of the return of cultural treasures, to be rather an anachronistic approach,” he added.

“It would be a fantastic statement by what Boris calls Global Britain if they were to move on this and look at it through a completely different lens.”

But Johnson dismissed the appeal for their return to Greece earlier this year, telling the Greek newspaper Ta Nea: “I understand the strong feelings of the Greek people – and indeed prime minister Mitsotakis – on the issue.

“But the UK government has a firm, longstanding position on the sculptures, which is that they were legally acquired by Lord Elgin under the appropriate laws of the time and have been legally owned by the British Museum’s trustees since their acquisition.”

Greece has long called for the reunification of the sculptures, displayed in museums across Europe but mostly in London, and says it is integral to understanding the artworks in the context of the Acropolis.

The British Museum's chairman, George Osborne, has reportedly reached an agreement in principle with the Greek government to loan or return the marbles, potentially backed by UNESCO.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis is trying to broker a deal to return the Parthenon marbles to Greece by offering to loan Greek treasures to the British Museum in exchange.

A deal to return the Elgin Marbles to Greece is reportedly at an advanced stage, with the British Museum in talks with the Greek prime minister sinc

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Content: Main content

Reports say a deal to return Elgin Marbles to Greece is at an "advanced stage"

The Greek daily newspaper, Ta Nea, says talks have been taking place between the British Museum and the Greek prime minister since November last year.

The Greek daily newspaper, Ta Nea, says talks have been taking place between the British Museum and the Greek prime minister since November last year.

Also on the programme: an alternative to plastic; and the story of how a fossil, which lay unnoticed in a drawer for over half a century, has advanced our understanding of the origins of reptiles.

(Picture: One of the Parthenon Statues, also known as the Elgin Marbles. Credit: Reuters)

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