British Royals Hastily Remove Racist Painting Label Prior to Obama Visit

Last Friday, the British royal family hosted the Obamas for dinner in Kensington Palace — and the visit could have been an incredibly awkward one. A massive painting hanging in William and Kate’s sitting room known as “The Negro Page” almost went unnoticed before the presidential arrival, its title etched into a plaque affixed to its frame. According to The Sun, an aide had realized the work prior to the visit, and someone with a screwdriver had to hastily remove the plaque to avoid any risk of offending the guests. For good measure, a potted plant was placed in front of the area to obscure any disparities in frame coloration.

Depicting an African servant guarding horses and dogs as his presumable masters converse nearby, the 1652 painting is the work of Dutch artist Aelbert Cuyp. Duchess Kate had reportedly chosen it from the Royal Collection, whose website actually does list its more politically correct title, “A Page with Two Horses.” Its attached plaque apparently did not receive such an update, which would have been an act of historical revisionism — a controversial gesture most recently and notably adopted by the Rijksmuseum to eradicate racially charged language from artworks.

The dinner was part of the Obamas’ three-day visit to the city — which included a trip to Shakespeare’s Globe Theater — and was the first official one William and Kate hosted in their private apartments. With sharp eyes saving the evening, the couples likely had the most pleasant of meals, clinking glasses as they smiled at each other over plates of garlic-free roast chicken.

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