Derry council to donate King Charles portrait to St Columb's Cathedral

Derry and Strabane District Council has voted to donate a portrait of King Charles III to St Columb's Cathedral.

The portrait was offered to council for free as part of a UK-wide scheme 'to celebrate the new reign'.

The government-funded scheme will cost £8m and offer portraits to every public body including councils, courts, schools, police forces, and fire and rescue services.

The photo itself was taken last year by Hugo Burnand, who also took the king and queen’s coronation portraits and their 2005 wedding photos.

UUP Alderman Derek Hussey requested that discussion of the portrait was deferred to Full Council.

Alderman Darren Guy proposed the move in the matters arising from the Monthly Governance and Strategic Planning Committee held on Tuesday, February 6.

“Sadly, I realise that the portrait of King Charles would not gain support to be displayed within the Guildhall,” the UUP Alderman said. “So to allow those who live in the city and district to get a chance to view this new portrait I would propose that this Council accepts the portrait of King Charles III and immediately gifts it to St Columb's Cathedral to be displayed within the Cathedral.”

Sinn Féin councillor Christopher Jackson said his party would abstain from voting on the proposal.

“As a republican, we have no truck at all with the British Royal Family but we acknowledge that there are people within the city and district who do have some affiliation and we don't wish to stand in their way so on this proposal in front of us we'll be abstaining,” Cllr Jackson said.

Cllr Brian Tierney said it was important to be sure if council was permitted to re-gift the photo.

“I suppose the first thing that we have to ask is if this is within the terms and conditions of it being gifted to us, that we can give it to a third party organisation. I'm sure that has been checked but I just want to be clear on it,” the SDLP councillor said.

“Our position is, we have no issue with it being given to a third party organisation. I think it's slightly unfair to say that it wouldn't get support to be displayed within this building.

“It doesn't fall within our policies to be displayed within this or any other council building but where it can be displayed and if people want to go and see it then that should be open to them and there are many other people across the district who would want to go and see it and I don't think we as a council should be standing in the way of that.”

Alderman Niree McMorris said there are already similar items in the Guildhall.

“I agree with Brian (Tierney) that people weren't given the opportunity to say whether they accept it or not into the Guildhall and I would have loved to have seen it there,” the DUP councillor said. “We have other memorabilia like Queen Victoria down the stairs and we have other portraits so I don't think it was a big ask to accept a portrait. However, in light of the proposal here, if St Columb's Cathedral were willing to accept it, we would go along with the motion.”

The motion passed with 18 for, 21 abstentions and 0 against.