Winston Churchill’s ‘Roaring Lion’ portrait stolen from Ottawa hotel and replaced with fake | UK News

A famous portrait of Winston Churchill has been stolen from a hotel in Canada – and replaced with a fake one.

The photograph, called “Roaring Lion”, was taken by Yousuf Karsh in 1941, shortly after Mr. Churchill gave a speech to the Canadian parliament.

Police began investigating the theft after an employee at the Fairmont Château Laurier hotel in Ottawa noticed the frame on the painting didn’t match five other portraits in the room.

All photos are the work of the same photographer, who is known for a series of famous portraits including the Queen and Martin Luther King Jr.

Jerry Fielder, the custodian of Mr Karsh’s property, was contacted by the hotel about the signature on the “fake” portrait.

He told The Guardian: “I’ve been seeing that signature for 43 years. So it only took me a second to know that someone had tried to copy it. It was a fake.”

The hotel is home to a number of Mr Karsh’s works and said it was “deeply saddened by this brazen act”.

General Manager Geneviève Dumas added: “The hotel is extremely proud to own this beautiful collection of Karsh, safely installed in 1998”.

The problem with the portrait was first noticed on August 19 – it is not known when the painting was stolen.

The photo was taken after Mr Churchill, who was accompanied by the Canadian prime minister, Mackenzie King, entered the speaker’s chamber where Mr Karsh was waiting.

The photographer recalls how Mr Churchill allowed only a single photo to be taken – and how the British leader continued to “gobble down his cigar”.

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Mr. Karsh said: “I waited. Then I walked up to him and without warning, but with great respect.

“By the time I got back to my camera, he looked so belligerent and he could have eaten me. At that moment I took the picture.”