Prince Andrew brings new trouble for Royal family: ’embarrassment, backlash
Prince Andrew is poised to face new embarrassment as the National Portrait Gallery considers an offer to display a photograph featuring the Duke of York with Emily Maitlis, taken after his infamous BBC Newsnight interview.
Following the interview’s broadcast in November 2019, which led to his stepping back from royal duties, Prince Andrew gave Emily Maitlis a tour of Buckingham Palace. At the time, he was unaware of the intense backlash his responses would provoke, reported GB News.
During the tour, photographer Mark Harrison captured images of Andrew and Maitlis walking through the palace. Harrison has since offered one of these photographs to the National Portrait Gallery as a gift.
A spokesperson for the gallery confirmed that the photograph is currently under review.
They said: “The photograph has been offered to the Gallery as a gift by the photographer and the offer is being considered via our standard acquisitions process.”
A final decision will not be made until the gallery appoints a new chief curator. The gallery may also acquire the photograph and choose not to display it.
However, if the photograph is displayed the Duke of York’s humiliation would be preserved in the historic gallery.
Earlier this year, Harrison opened up on his experience of watching the interview live as it was filmed.
He said: “When the thing got going, my eyeline just remained fixed on the cameraman.
“I was standing just behind one of the cameramen, and I could see the other one on the other side, and I was just fixed on catching his eye, and eyebrows went up and hands went across mouths.”
Harrison said regarding taking the photographs after the interview: “All my photographs taken after the interview there are no smiles. There’s nothing. It’s all tense from her (Emily Maitlis).”
He added regarding Prince Andrew’s reaction after the interview: “At that moment, I thought, ‘I can’t believe you thought this went well because the rest of us are all catching eyes’, and I’m told to just get out and get it to press.”
