Prized sculpture of a famous prince who just missed out on being king is subject of government move

A sculpture of one of the most famous medieval royals of all is under government scrutiny.

The bust of Edward of Woodstock, better known as The Black Prince, is now subject to an export bar from ministers. It means that the marble sculpture cannot be taken overseas by a new buyer until the barring runs out. It’s hoped that a museum or institution in the UK will bid for it t save it for the nation.

The work of art shows The Black Prince at the height of his military career. Edward of Woodstock was the eldest son of King Edward III and Philippa of Hainault and was heir to the throne from his birth, in June 1330, until his death in June 1376. His father died a year after him and so The Black Prince never began king. The crown instead passed to his younger son who became Richard II.

Edward of Woodstock was one of the most successful military commanders of the 14th century and played a crucial part in England’s successes at the start of the Hundred Years’ War. He played a crucial role at the Battle of Crecy and was the victor at the Battle of Poitiers.

He was also seen as an example of a near perfect knight at a time when chivalry and courtly love were seen as ideals. He also had a complicated romantic life, eventually marrying Joan of Kent who had been married before. His famous nickname is said to have come from his black suit of armur.

The bust at the subject of the government order was created in the 18th century for another long serving heir who never became king. Frederick, Prince of Wales commissioned the bust in 1735. He had become heir in 1727 on the accession of his father as King George II. Frederick was heir until his death in 1751 with George II living until 1760. Frederick’s son inherited the Crown as King George III.

Frederick, Prince of Wales asked one of the most respected sculptors of the time, Michael Rysbrack, to create the likeness of The Black Prince and in the three centuries since, it has been used as the basis for most images of Edward of Woodstock. Its crucial role in the development of the representation of a major figure in medieval history is one of the reasons the government has put a temporary export bar on it.

The details of the order mean that there is a ban on it leaving the country which initially runs until February 5 2027. UK museums and organisations have until then to raise the money needed to purchase the bust – it has a recommended price of £496,044.51 plus VAT meaning the total to pay will be over £500,000.

Speaking as the bar was announced, the Heritage Minister, Baroness Twycroft, said ‘‘This striking sculpture of Edward the Black Prince still defines how we imagine this legendary figure in British history. For nearly three hundred years it has shaped how we tell the story of our medieval history and I hope that in a public gallery in the UK it can tell that story much more powerfully for many more years to come.”

The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA) advised the minister while the bar was contemplated. RCEWA member, Stuart Lochhead, said ‘‘Michael Rysbrack was one of the most important sculptors of eighteenth-century Britain, developing a classicising style that established a new taste for portraiture, monuments and statuary. This handsome marble bust of Edward, the Black Prince, served a particular purpose for Georgian patrons and the royal court, who used such portraits for dynastic and patriotic self-fashioning, aligning themselves with a lineage of English kingship and chivalric virtue that would define imagery for generations.”

Stuart Lochhead added ‘‘ It is one of the finest and earliest known busts of this genre, and its export from the United Kingdom would be a great loss to scholarship and our understanding of Georgian society.”

Institutions and museums interested in buying the sculpture should contact rcewa@artscouncil.org.uk.