A statue of a man holding a flag covering his face and signed ‘Banksy’, seen in Waterloo Place, London, Thursday, April 30, 2026.
Kin Cheung/AP
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Kin Cheung/AP
A sculpture mysteriously erected in central London early on Wednesday has been confirmed as the work of mischievous, often politically oriented artist Banksy.
The statue depicts a man in a suit waving a large flag. However, the cloth of the flag covers the man’s face, and his glorious march appears to spell disaster, as he descends from the platform without any ground.
The statue was publicly revealed when King Charles III paid a state visit to Washington, D.C., New York City and Virginia, at which the King and Queen Camilla were welcomed by President Trump to a state dinner during which the British royal addressed Congress, debating the importance of NATO.
The statue, which includes Banksy’s signature on its base, was erected overnight on Wednesday. By Thursday, a video An account of the piece was published on Banksy’s Instagram account, confirming that it is his work. This video is based on British composer Edward Elgar’s 1901 pomp and circumstance March No. 1 – whose tune was played at the coronation of King Edward VII – ends with a man telling the videographer how much he dislikes the job.
This statue is located in Waterloo Place, near the heroic statues of King Edward VII and Florence Nightingale. It is unclear whether the artist received official permission for the installation; in an email to the new York TimesRepresentative of the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, wrote: “Banksy has the great ability to inspire people from different backgrounds to enjoy modern art. His work always attracts great interest and debate, and Mayer hopes his latest piece can be preserved for the enjoyment of Londoners and visitors.”
On Friday, Westminster City Council said in a statement shared with The Associated Press that it had no plans to remove the piece, writing: “We welcome Banksy’s latest sculpture to Westminster, which makes a notable contribution to the city’s vibrant public art scene. While we have taken initial steps to protect the statue, it will remain accessible for the public to view and enjoy at this time.”
Last September, the Royal Court Service in London cleared up A freshly installed Banksy graffiti that had appeared on a wall of its premises two days earlier. The mural depicts a deranged judge striking a protester with his palms.
In March, Reuters published a Investigation Banksy has been identified as British artist Robin Gunningham, which has also been claimed before. mail on sunday in 2008. Neither Banksy nor his representatives confirmed nor denied the Reuters story.
