David Lammy’s Foreign Office ‘eliminated portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in favour of pan-African flags’
David Lammy‘s Foreign Office is said to have removed a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and replaced it with pan-African flags.
Several months before the cabinet reshuffle, the Deputy Prime Minister removed a picture of the ex-monarch photographed by David Bailey from his office in July 2025.
And as the photograph of the late Queen was shipped out, a pair of Pan-African flags were placed in the department’s Whitehall headquarters.
Ministers are allowed to make changes to decor and are helped in selecting the 15,000 artworks that are stored in the Government Art Collection.
The decorations are a resource to aid diplomats as well as politicians to exert British soft power in official buildings.
It is believed Queen Elizabeth II portrait now lies in storage with no collection photographs of her in the department, according to The Telegraph.
Currently, variations of the Pan-African flag, created by artist Larry Achiampong and commissioned with backing from the Arts Council, are displayed.
The Pan African Flags for The Relic Travellers’ Alliance (Motion) and (Community) both have large yellow, green and red designs.
The works, which were part of a 2017 project, also feature 54 black starts which represent all of the African countries.
David Lammy ‘s Foreign Office is said to have removed a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II (pictured in July 2017) and replaced it with pan-African flag
The photograph was then replaced by two designs of the Pan African flags design created by artist Larry Achiampong (R) (Pictured with Hannah Parry)
The project was launched in a bid to spark thought about the political and social climate in recent years, ‘the rise of nationalism within the global West,’ and rising tensions amid the Brexit referendum in 2016
While the Motion flag is still used as a decoration in the office, it is understood the Community flag has been removed.
It is not clear where the flag is located, however potential locations could include the Green Room in Lancaster House, where visiting officials are often greeted.
Among the most recent commissions is Lubaina Himid’s 2021 piece, Old Boat, New Weather, which represents the ‘wrong’ of colonialism and the imperial slave trade.
Alongside it in the Green Room, is a small version of Ship in a Bottle by Yinka Shonibare – a version of Admiral Horatio Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory.
The piece is described as ‘celebration’ of London’s diversity as well as honouring the many cultures and ethnicities ‘still breathing precious wind into the [UKs] sails.’
It comes after Sir Keir Starmer sparked a row after removing a portrait of William Shakespeare from the wall inside 10 Downing Street.
In October 2024, the premier was accused of consigning the Bard ‘to the dustbin’ after the 18th century painting by Louis Francois Roubiliac was reportedly placed in storage.
Sir Keir had already removed portraits of Elizabeth I, Sir Walter Raleigh, and William Ewart Gladstone since entering No 10.
In August 2024, he also sparked backlash when he took down a £100,000 portrait of Margaret Thatcher from her former study as he found it ‘unsettling’.
The Deputy Prime Minister is said to have made the redecorations in July 2025 shortly before a cabinet reshuffle saw him moved from the Foreign Office to the Ministry of Justice
Sir Keir had to bow to public pressure to rehang the portrait with Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg blasting the original decision as ‘spiteful’ and ‘petty’.
Meanwhile, Chancellor Rachel Reeves brought in abstract artworks commemorating the Covid lockdowns to replace paintings of former prime ministers.
Before Labour came into power, the room in No 11 Downing Street was filled with portraits of monarchs and former chancellors David Lloyd George and Benjamin Disraeli.
These canvases were swapped out by the current head of the Treasury for conceptual depictions of social distancing and Covid anxiety.
The interior design changes came after Ms Reeves ordered the removal of all pictures of men from No 11 following Labour’s 2024 election victory.
The Daily Mail has approached the Foreign Office for comment.
