Cherie Blair backed Tony Blair to sit down for a portrait. paperwork reveal

Cherie Blair was ‘adamant’ her husband Tony ought to sit for a portrait to be hung in Lincoln’s Inn, the inn of courtroom he was a member of as he educated as a barrister – nevertheless it precipitated a headache for his aides, the information reveal. 

Fiona Millar, an adviser, wrote to Mr Blair in November 2002, ‘This presents us with a dilemma as we’ve turned down the NPG [National Portrait Gallery] on the grounds that you have not obtained time for the mandatory sittings in the mean time. 

‘None of us really feel that the picture of you posing on your portrait is a very useful one in the mean time, particularly if the battle in Iraq escalates.’ 

But Ms Millar prompt it is perhaps doable to ‘slip it into the Dining Hall at Lincoln’s Inn (or wherever it is because of dangle) with out anybody noticing’ if it was executed on the understanding that it was a personal sitting, that the artist Jonathan Yeo was not in a position to do any publicity on the again of it, and that the portrait was not subsequently ‘unveiled’. 

Mr Blair did finally sit for a portrait by Mr Yeo shortly after leaving workplace. 

It was unveiled in 2008 and hung within the Great Hall of Lincoln’s Inn. 

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair did finally sit for a portrait by Mr Yeo shortly after leaving workplace

Former prime minister Tony Blair and his spouse Cherie, who was ‘adamant’ her husband ought to sit for a portrait to be hung in Lincoln’s Inn

Artist Jonathan Yeo, who did Mr Blair’s portrait, attends the Frieze Art Fair 2022 VIP Preview in Regent’s Park