The Queen's art collection has reportedly joined the Russian boycott by withdrawing permission for three swords to go on display at an exhibition in Moscow.
The 17th century weapons, including one thought to have belonged to Charles I, were due to be loaned to Kremlin Museums for an exhibition on duelling that had been due to start this month.
However, according to the Guardian, the Royal Collection Trust decided to reverse the decision to allow them to go on show in the Russian capital in mid-February.
The decision is said to have come before the Russian invasion of Ukraine but at the time when troops had been amassing on the border.
A spokesperson for the Queen’s Collection told the newspaper: “A decision to postpone a loan of three swords from the Royal Collection to the Kremlin Museums in Moscow was made in mid-February.”
The Royal Collection Trust is said to be among several institutions that have withdrawn their permission for some of their items to go on display in the exhibition, which was being sponsored by Alisher Usmanov - a Russian oligarch, who is subject to sanctions in the UK and US.
The institutions are said to include the Royal Armouries based in Leeds as well as the Louvre in Paris and Madrid’s Prado Museum.
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Now, according to the Kremlin Museum's website, the exhibition called 'The Duel: from Trial by Combat to a Noble Crime', which had been due to open on March 4, has been postponed.
The website says : "The Moscow Kremlin Museums report the postponement of the exhibition "The Duel: from Trial by Combat to a Noble Crime", which was scheduled to open on 4 March 2022.
"The core of the project consists of exhibits from European museums, which were forced to withdraw them before the time due to the geopolitical situation.
"The Moscow Kremlin Museums are currently working on making the exhibition happen without European participation, and express their sincere thanks to the Russian museum community for offering assistance in the current difficult circumstances."
The Mirror has contacted the Royal Collection Trust for comment.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Queen has yet to speak publicly on the issue.
However, when she met Canadian president Justin Trudeau at Windsor Castle last week, a vase full of blue and yellow flowers was on display.
Blue and yellow are the colours of the Ukrainian flag and sources said that the small gesture was a deliberate sign of the Queen's solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
