SCOTTISH NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY ADMITS PORTRAIT OF PRINCE CHARLES IS ACTUALLY OF HIS BROTHER

THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY TODAY ADMITTED THAT A PORTRAIT OF BONNIE PRINCE CHARLIE, THOUGHT TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT OF HIM, ACTUALLY DEPICTS HIS BROTHER. FOR MORE THAN 150 YEARS THE PASTEL, BY FRENCH ARTIST MAURICE QUENTIN DE LA TOUR, IS BELIEVED TO HAVE DEPICTED PRINCE CHARLES EDWARD STUART. BUT CURATORS AT THE GALLERY HAVE CONCEDED THAT THE IMAGE IS OF CHARLES'S YOUNGER BROTHER, PRINCE HENRY, AFTER SUSPICIONS WERE RAISED BY EXPERTS. THAT ARTIST MADE PORTRAITS IN THE MID-18th CENTURY OF BOTH BROTHERS, BUT THE PASTEL IN THE ONLY WORK THAT IS BELIEVED TO HAVE SURVIVED. ARGUMENTS HAVE RAGED ABOUT THE IDENTITY OF THE JACOBITE PORTRAIT SINCE THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL GALLERY BOUGHT THE WORK AT AUCTION FOR £22,000 IN 1994. SPECIALIST DR BENDOR GROSVENOR FIRST SUGGESTED THAT THE PORTRAIT HAD BEEN WRONGLY IDENTIFIED IN AN ARTICLE IN THE BRITISH ART JOURNAL LAST YEAR. BUT THE GALLERY RESPONDED THAT THE FACT THAT THE STUART PRINCE WAS WEARING ARMOUR TIPPED ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR OF PRINCE CHARLES EDWARD STUART, KNOWN AS BONNIE PRINCE CHARLIE, WHOSE MILITARY EXPLOITS WERE LEGENDARY. THE GALLERY CONCEDED THAT THE PORTRAIT WAS OF HENRY AFTER DR EDWARD CORP, AN AUTHORITY ON JACOBITE IMAGERY, WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY MAINTAINED THE WORK WAS OF CHARLES, DECIDED IT WAS ACTUALLY OF HENRY. HENRY BECAME A CARDINAL IN 1747, SHORTLY AFTER THE FAILURE OF CHARLES'S REBELLION AND WOULD OFTEN BE DEPICTED IN ROBES. BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATE TO SEE HIM IN ARMOUR BEFORE HE BECAME CARDINAL YORK AS HE SERVED WITH THE FRENCH ARMY AT THE SIEGE OF ANTWERP IN 1746. DR BENDER SAID: 'THIS HAS BEEN THE DEFINITIVE PORTRAIT OF CHARLES. IT GRACES BIOGRAPHIES OF CHARLES AND IS USED BY THE OXFORD DICTIONARY OF NATIONAL BIOGRAPHY AS THE BEST LIKENESS OF HIM. EVERYONE THOUGHT THAT CHARLES WAS THIS DASHING YOUNG PRINCE WITH A SYMPATHETIC FACE. PEOPLE HAVE TENDED TO DRAW THE WRONG CONCLUSIONS BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THE WRONG GUY. A GALLERY SPOKESPERSON SAID: 'WE HAVE RE-ASSESSED OUR OWN POSITION AND, ON BALANCE, ACCEPT THAT IT IS MORE LIKELY THAT OUR PASTEL DEPICTS PRINCE HENRY BENEDICT, AND NOT HIS ELDER BROTHER. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON THAT SUCH RE-ATTRIBUTIONS ARE MADE, AS RESEARCH CONTINUES TO FILL IN THE GAPS IN OUR KNOWLEDGE, AND IT IS ALWAYS EXCITING TO UNCOVER NEW INFORMATION ABOUT THE WORKS IN OUR CARE. NONE OF THESE DEBATES DETRACT FROM THE GREATNESS OF THE PORTRAIT'