Art Gallery Tied to Princess Eugenie Faces Sanctions Breach Charges
Royal Affiliation and Art Gallery Facing Sanctions Allegations
A prominent art gallery, Hauser & Wirth, which has a location in Mayfair, is currently facing legal action over allegations that it sold artwork to a Russian art collector in violation of sanctions. The gallery is accused of making available a "luxury good... to a person connected with Russia," breaching the rules established after Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
Princess Eugenie, who is not a working royal, is listed as a "director" of the Hauser & Wirth gallery on her Instagram profile and also on its website. The gallery allegedly made available the painting Escape from Humanity by American artist George Condo to a Russian art collector between April 14 and December 31, 2022. This period followed the Department for International Trade’s ban on exporting luxury goods worth more than £250 to Russia.
Another entity, Artay Rauchwerger Solomons Ltd, previously known as Art Logistics Ltd, is also facing similar charges for a date between August 10 and December 31, 2022. According to Companies House records, this company entered voluntary liquidation at the end of last year.
Regulations introduced in April 2022 made supplying, delivering, or 'making available' luxury goods to, or for use in, Russia an offence. This includes a wide range of items such as luxury cars, caviar, sports equipment, musical instruments, and art. Companies found guilty of violating these regulations can face unlimited fines.
Eugenie has been involved with the gallery since 2015 and expressed her passion for art on Instagram, stating: "As some of you may know, I am a huge lover of art & a director at @hauserwirth." However, she does not sit on the company's London board, and there is no indication that she was involved in the alleged sale of the painting to an individual connected with Russia.
Eugenie has retained her royal title after her father, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, was stripped of his honorifics two weeks ago. The case was called at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday. No pleas were entered, and the court adjourned for a pre-trial hearing at Southwark Crown Court on December 16.
The prosecution was initiated following an investigation by HMRC. A spokesperson for the tax and customs body confirmed to the Mail that it had led an investigation into an alleged breach of sanctions. Prosecutors did not name the individual said to be connected to Russia in court documents.
Hauser & Wirth operates galleries on Savile Row, Mayfair, and another in Somerset. It plans to open a second Mayfair gallery in 2027. The gallery also has locations in the US, Hong Kong, and across Europe. A spokesperson stated: "Our UK Gallery has been charged with one instance of making an item of artwork available to a non-sanctioned person connected with Russia. We are fully committed to complying with all our legal obligations including sanctions. As the case is ongoing, we are unable to comment further other than say we strongly contest this charge and intend to plead not guilty."
Alongside her sister Princess Beatrice, Eugenie has started appearing in public as she works to move past the scandal surrounding her father's titles. Earlier this week, she met with members of the King's Foundation's "35 under 35" network, for which she is an official mentor. She was also seen alongside notable figures such as shoe designer Jennifer Chamandi at a dinner in London hosted by Alessandra de Osma, Princess Christian of Hanover.
The Princess, who married Prince Christian of Hanover in 2018, organized the glamorous event to celebrate her fashion brand Philippa 1970 at Julie's Restaurant in Notting Hill. Beatrice was recently spotted visiting a research unit tackling premature births and attending an event at Battersea Power Station promoting Premature Birth Awareness Month, following a trade event in Saudi Arabia.
