World

Banksy installs statue of flag-wielding man in central London

By Reuters Reuters
A statue depicting a person stepping off the plinth while carrying a flag covering their face, by British street artist Banksy, stands in London, Britain, April 30, 2026. REUTERS/Jack Taylor
A statue depicting a person stepping off the plinth while carrying a flag covering their face, by British street artist Banksy, stands in London, Britain, April 30, 2026. REUTERS/Jack Taylor Jack Taylor Reuters
A statue depicting a person stepping off the plinth while carrying a flag covering their face, by British street artist Banksy, stands in London, Britain, April 30, 2026. REUTERS/Jack Taylor
A statue depicting a person stepping off the plinth while carrying a flag covering their face, by British street artist Banksy, stands in London, Britain, April 30, 2026. REUTERS/Jack Taylor Jack Taylor Reuters




A statue depicting a person stepping off the plinth while carrying a flag covering their face, by British street artist Banksy, stands in London, Britain, April 30, 2026. REUTERS/Jack Taylor
A statue depicting a person stepping off the plinth while carrying a flag covering their face, by British street artist Banksy, stands in London, Britain, April 30, 2026. REUTERS/Jack Taylor Jack Taylor Reuters




A statue depicting a person stepping off the plinth while carrying a flag covering their face, by British street artist Banksy, stands in London, Britain, April 30, 2026. REUTERS/Jack Taylor
A statue depicting a person stepping off the plinth while carrying a flag covering their face, by British street artist Banksy, stands in London, Britain, April 30, 2026. REUTERS/Jack Taylor Jack Taylor Reuters




A statue depicting a person stepping off the plinth while carrying a flag covering their face, by British street artist Banksy, stands in London, Britain, April 30, 2026. REUTERS/Jack Taylor
A statue depicting a person stepping off the plinth while carrying a flag covering their face, by British street artist Banksy, stands in London, Britain, April 30, 2026. REUTERS/Jack Taylor Jack Taylor Reuters




tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOA695230042026RP1-PREVIEW:48000:MP3 mpeg



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOA695230042026RP1-STREAM:22.050:MP3 mpeg



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOA695230042026RP1-STREAM:48000:M4A aac



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOA695230042026RP1-STREAM:48000:MP3 mpeg



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOA695230042026RP1-STREAM:48000:WAV wav



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOA695230042026RP1-STREAM:48000M:WAV wav



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOP695230042026RP1-BASEIMAGE:960X540 jpegBaseline



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOP695230042026RP1-THUMBNAIL:160X90 jpegBaseline



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOP695230042026RP1-THUMBNAILGRID jpegBaseline



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOP695230042026RP1-VIEWIMAGE:512X288 jpegBaseline



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV695230042026RP1-STREAM:1756:16X9:MP4 H264/mpeg



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV695230042026RP1-STREAM:2000:16X9:MP4 H264/mpeg



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV695230042026RP1-STREAM:5128:16X9:MP4 H264/mpeg



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV695230042026RP1-STREAM:6756:16X9:MPG mpeg



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV695230042026RP1-STREAM:700:16X9:MP4 H264/mpeg



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV695230042026RP1-STREAM:8256:16X9:MP4 H264/mpeg



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV695230042026RP1-STREAM:8256M:16X9:MP4 H264/mpeg



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV695230042026RP1-STREAM:CLOSEDCAPTION:SRT srt



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV695230042026RP1-STREAM:CLOSEDCAPTION:VTT vtt



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV695230042026RP1-STREAM:SHOTLIST:JSON json



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LWD695230042026RP1-STREAM:13756:16X9:HD1080I50:MP4 mp4



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LWD695230042026RP1-STREAM:13756:16X9:HD1080I60:MP4 mp4



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LWD695230042026RP1-STREAM:1756:16X9:MP4 mp4



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LWD695230042026RP1-STREAM:2128:16X9:MP4 mp4



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LWD695230042026RP1-STREAM:6756:16X9:SD525I30:MPG mpeg



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LWD695230042026RP1-STREAM:6756:16X9:SD625I25:MPG mpeg



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LWD695230042026RP1-THUMBNAILGRID jpegBaseline



tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LWD695230042026RP1-VIEWIMAGE:768X432 jpegBaseline



LONDON - Banksy confirmed on Thursday he was behind a large statue depicting a man carrying a flag that has blown into his face on a plinth near the Mall in the ceremonial heart of London.

The sculpture, which bears Banksy's signature on the plinth, was dropped into place from a low-loader overnight, according to a video posted on the elusive street artist's Instagram.

The suited figure, whose sight is obscured by the flag, has one foot poised over the edge of the plinth, indicating he is just about to step off.

It was installed in an area of the British capital that is home to royal palaces and gentlemen's clubs, and it mirrors the style of nearby statues, including King Edward VII on horseback, nurse Florence Nightingale and statesman Sidney Herbert.

Commentators on Banksy's Instagram site speculated the work was about "blind patriotism", and questioned how he had managed to pull off such a stunt in the epicentre of the British establishment.

Banksy, who keeps his identity a closely guarded secret, uses Instagram to confirm murals and sculptures are his work.

Reuters revealed details about Banksy's modus operandi and his real identity in a special report last month.

(Reporting by Paul SandleEditing by Rod Nickel)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published April 30, 2026 at 12:41 PM.

Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER