A statue that was erected mysteriously in central London early Wednesday has been confirmed as the work of the mischievous, often politically oriented artist Banksy.
The statue depicts a man in a suit hoisting a large flag.The flag's cloth covers the man's face, however, and his proud march appears to be courting disaster, as he steps off the plinth with no ground beneath him.
King Charles addresses a Joint Meeting of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday. Charles and Queen Camilla are visiting the nation's capital, New York City, and Virginia as part of a trip arranged to celebrate the United States of America's 250th anniversary of its independence.
King Charles argues for stronger cooperation in speech to a joint meeting of Congress
The statue appeared in public just as King Charles III made a state visit to Washington, D.C., New York City and Virginia, in which the king and Queen Camilla were feted by President Trump at a state dinner and during which the British royal addressed Congress, arguing for the importance of NATO.
The statue, which includes a Banksy signature on its base, was erected overnight on Wednesday. By Thursday, a video about the piece had been published on Banksy's Instagram account, confirming it as his work. The video, set to British composer Edward Elgar's 1901 Pomp and Circumstance March No.1 – whose melody was played at King Edward VII's coronation – ends with a man telling the videographer how much he dislikes the work.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2026/05/02/nx-s1-58 ... tue-london
