A canvas for the royal collection

LONDON: Titian, Leonardo da Vinci, Dürer, Rembrandt and van Dyck line up the walls of Britain’s most coveted art gallery — the state room of Buckingham Palace. The hallowed walls may soon have another addition: the work of Mamata Banerjee, the artist.
The Bengal chief minister gifted a hand-painted work of hers to the Duke of York — Prince Andrew — second son and third child of Queen Elizabeth.
Mamata on Monday became the first chief minister from an Indian state to get an official reception at Buckingham Palace, Britain’s most iconic address. Prince Andrew hosted an evening tea for the chief minister at the house of the monarch.
The chief minister had a 40-minute one-on-one interview with Prince Andrew, who described her as “a very dynamic leader, leading a dynamic government, sowing the transformation of Bengal”. The prince, it was learnt, has gifted the chief minister a bag with motifs of Buckingham Palace on it.
Mamata herself said later: “I had been to London once before and have walked past Buckingham Palace, never knowing that I would enter it one day. Prince Andrew gave me a very warm reception, and even came all the way out to see me off. The prince inquired about the changing economic and political face of Bengal and our initiatives around tax collection. He has plans to work with women of Bengal under the aegis of a few of his NGOs.
“ I apprised him of all our women-friendly schemes like Muktir Alo (a plan to rehabilitate trafficked women and sex workers willing to leave the profession), and the work we’ve done for the transgender community. Buckingham Palace is a monument which has been at the centre of some of the world's historic decisions.”
The photo gallery at Buckingham Palace, one of the 19 state rooms, displays some of the greatest paintings in the Royal Collection. It was created by the architect John Nash as part of his transformation of Buckingham House into a palace for George IV in the 1820s. The 47-metre room was designed as a setting for the King’s magnificent picture collection.
So, what is the prince’s interest in Bengal? Prince Andrew has his own fashion label along with a Bengal charity NGO. As part of the celebrations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, he had travelled to India in 2012. He had then visited a charity based in Bengal that helps victims of human trafficking, slavery and domestic abuse by giving them vocational training. One of the things these women are taught is to make silk garments.
This was followed by a private visit by Sarah, Duchess of York and Princess Eugenie, who met with the girls. What was born was the organisation Key to Freedom. They helped develop their creative ideas and lift the project off the ground.