Portraits Of Queen Elizabeth Removed From Government Building After Civil Servant Is Offended

The employee, Lee Hegarty, suggested Queen Elizabeth’s portraits should be replaced with an image of Her Majesty meeting with Martin McGuinness, an Irish Republican politician. But his suggestion was rejected and, as a result, all photos of the queen were removed from the building, the News Letter reported.

A series of landscape paintings have replaced the depictions of the head of state and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, according to The Independent.

On Wednesday, the NIO refused to explain why a department in Her Majesty’s government was refusing to allow the display of the head of state’s picture. But the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Julian Smith, told the BBC that he recognized “the importance of the Northern Ireland Office being an open and inclusive place to work.”

“As an employer in Northern Ireland, the NIO takes its obligations under the Northern Ireland Act and Fair Employment legislation seriously,” he added.

Lord Ken Maginnis, a former Ulster Unionist Party MP, told the House of Lords on Wednesday that he was outraged the senior official’s financial agreement was settled in secret and was approved for “hurt feelings and distress.” He said, “This is scandalous. It is an indictment of the Northern Ireland Office and of this government.”

Ulster Unionist peer Lord Empey said the issue had been raised with Boris Johnson during his visit to Northern Ireland in July, saying the new prime minister “looked a bit shocked.”

“He immediately looked puzzled and looked around in each direction for some guidance from officials on either side of him. One intervened with a comment about it being a personnel issue,” said Lord Empey.

“Hopefully his staff will follow up on this and we will get some clarity,” he added.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Ulster Unionist peer Lord Dennis Rogan said: “If true, this is outrageous. It is political correctness gone mad.”

Lord Rogan has since questioned the issue again in the House of Lords. In response, NIO minister Lord Ian Duncan said his office was working in accordance with guidelines laid down by the Equality Commission.

“The NIO is sensitive to the display of ‘posters, pictures, portraits or other displays that are more closely associated with one or other of the communities’ and will consider any concerns raised by employees,” he said.