Colchester artist reacts to Margaret Thatcher portrait being moved

Rumours have circulated that Sir Keir had moved the painting of Baroness Thatcher after finding it “unsettling”.

The portrait was painted by West Bergholt artist Richard Stone.

Multiple national media outlets have reported Sir Keir’s biographer Tom Baldwin confirmed that Prime Minister found it “unsettling” during Glasgow’s Aye Write Book Festival.

Mr Stone, who is the son of a Colchester postman, is a royal portrait artist.

Art - Baroness Thatcher next to Richard Stone's portrait which has allegedly been moved in Number Ten Downing Street (Image: Richard Stone)

Throughout his career, Mr Stone has painted many members of the royal family, as well as politicians and celebrities.

In 1992 and 2015, the artist produced two official portraits of Queen Elizabeth II and paid tribute to the monarch after she died in September 2022.

Mr Stone’s £100,000 painting of Baroness Thatcher, who lived and worked in Colchester in the 1940s, was commissioned by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and unveiled in November 2009 in Downing Street.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer awaits the arrival of Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, ahead of a bilateral meeting at 10 Downing Street in London. Picture date: Tuesday August 6, 2024 (Image: James Manning/PA Wire)

Speaking to the Gazette Mr Stone said: “The portrait was commissioned by the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown for Downing Street.

“As far as I am aware, it is still in Downing Street but no longer hangs in what was Baroness Thatcher’s office.

“When it was unveiled Gordon was still prime minister, it then hung during his time as PM in the vestibule, still an important area of Number Ten.

“It was only when former Prime Minister David Cameron was in power it was relocated to what was her office.

“Pictures in any collection are always moved around.

Artist - Richard Stone

“I’m not disturbed or perturbed by this at all.”

Mr Stone has painted more portraits of Baroness Thatcher, but this 40 by 28 inch oil on canvas portrait was the first to be on permanent display in Number Ten.

The world-famous painter previously spoke to The Gazette of his delight after a portrait of Baroness Thatcher sold for £43,750 at auction.

Education minister Baroness Jacqui Smith has pledged that all portraits of former prime minister Margaret Thatcher will remain in Number Ten.

There were several times she was personally “unsettled” in Number Ten but “it wasn’t usually by the portraits.”

She said: “Keir Starmer, can’t win, can he? A few months ago, people were having a go at him because he said he thought he could learn from the leadership of Margaret Thatcher.

“Pictures of Margaret Thatcher will remain in Number Ten.

“You can take that as a Jacqui pledge, but I think probably Keir Starmer is more concerned about actually sort of cracking on with the job of getting the country to work properly than where the pictures are.”