Dozens of Parliament artworks missing

By the Editorial Team · Monday, August 24, 2026

Over 65 artworks, including portraits of Benjamin Disraeli and Margaret Beckett as well as satirical cartoons, have been reported missing from the Houses of Parliament since early 2024. While some pieces have been recovered, the ongoing relocation of the active collection during maintenance means these artworks are often temporarily unaccounted for, and efforts continue to track and reduce losses.

More than 65 artworks have been reported missing from the Houses of Parliament since the beginning of 2024, according to information released following a Freedom of Information request. Among the misplaced pieces are notable portraits and prints, including a photograph of Benjamin Disraeli, who was Queen Victoria’s favourite prime minister, and a 19th-century engraving of William Wilberforce, a leading figure in the abolition of the slave trade.

The photograph of Disraeli was taken by John Jabez Edwin Mayall, a prominent Victorian portrait photographer known for capturing images of figures such as Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, Charles Dickens, and Karl Marx. The missing Wilberforce print was produced by William Holl, alongside his brother Francis. Also reported missing is a photograph of Margaret Beckett, the UK’s first female foreign secretary and the first woman to lead the Labour Party.

The list includes satirical artworks as well, notably a cartoon by Martin Rowson related to the 1995 Conservative Party leadership election. This cartoon depicts John Major attempting to “lance the boil” of the leadership contest, with his deputy Michael Heseltine and challenger Michael Portillo observing. Another satirical piece missing is a cartoon portraying Barbara Castle, a former Labour minister and deputy to Harold Wilson, depicted as Florence Nightingale. Rowson noted that the loss of cartoons is not unusual; he cited a previous example of one of his cartoons about the Foreign Office Christmas party in 2004 that never reached beyond the departmental reception after being sent to then-junior minister Denis MacShane.

A parliamentary spokesperson explained that the collection is active and artworks are regularly moved between locations during maintenance or refurbishment works across the estate. As a result, some pieces are temporarily unaccounted for but are often subsequently found. None of the missing items have been written off or classified as financial losses. The spokesperson also highlighted that five of the missing works have been recovered so far in 2024.

The number of missing artworks has decreased significantly from a reported 220 in 2018. That earlier tally included pieces such as portraits of William Pitt the Younger and a wartime oil painting by William John MacLeod depicting the aftermath of the 1941 bombing of Parliament. The parliamentary art collection is part of a broader heritage repository encompassing around 26,000 objects, including furniture and decorative items.

Experts note that, particularly with satirical cartoons, the original artworks have already been widely circulated through publication, meaning their cultural and historical value is primarily tied to their printed form. Therefore, while regrettable, the loss of originals does not represent a substantial cultural gap. Continued audits and efforts are underway to monitor and reduce the number of artworks recorded as missing within the parliamentary estate.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.