U-turn will let churches claim free King portrait
MINISTERS have been forced into an embarrassing rethink over barring churches from receiving a free portrait of King Charles after The Mail on Sunday intervened.
Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden is understood to be reviewing eligibility for the picture project after it emerged that under the £8million government-funded scheme, prisons qualified but places of worship were excluded.
Churches were instead told they would have to stump up for the Charles portrait if they wanted to display it.
The scheme, which was announced last April, offers a free framed picture of the King to public bodies including prisons, schools, courts and police forces.
The portrait was taken by royal photographer Hugo Burnand and shows the King wearing a Royal Navy uniform.
It was offered to boost ‘civic pride’ for ‘the new era in our history’ after the Coronation. The exclusion of churches had come as a surprise to some MPs.
Mr Dowden’s rethink comes after Labour MP Charlotte Nichols challenged Ministers to extend the scheme, only to be told by Cabinet Office Minister Alex Burghart that there were no plans to do so.
He said only that ‘a portrait will be available for purchase in due course for those not eligible for this scheme’.
But after this newspaper stepped in and contacted the Cabinet Office, sources said Mr Dowden was personally in favour of adding churches to public bodies eligible.
Last night Warrington North MP Ms Nichols said: ‘I’m delighted to hear that the Cabinet Office is now considering extending the scheme to churches. But it was always ridiculous that prisons could get a free portrait but the Church of England, whose head is the King himself, were being denied one.’ But Ms Nichols, who is Jewish, said: ‘I would go further and extend it to all faith groups.
‘Prayers for the Royal Family are in our Jewish liturgy, and I’m sure many synagogues, for example, would also love one.’
Ms Nichols decided to intervene after being approached by a local Church of England church in her constituency.
The MoS understands that the Cabinet Office is pleased with the project’s take-up but not everyone has been so receptive.
Last week The Mail on Sunday revealed that Mr Dowden had written to Channel 4 to ask why it had failed to accept the offer of a portrait of King Charles to hang in its headquarters.
The broadcaster – which has been previously criticised for its irreverent attitude to the Royal Family – said it would respond ‘in due course’.