In a startling written admission to a Greek official in 2012, then London Mayor Boris Johnson said that the Parthenon marbles should never have been removed and should’ve stayed in Athens, reports the Guardian.
Interestingly, Johnson alludes to the advantage of reunification of the sculptures for a meaningful in context experience, by adding that they if they had remained in Athens they could’ve been “viewed in situ”.
According to the Guardian report, the letter by the British Prime Minister was written in response to an appeal George Hinos, then head of the New Democracy party in Ilia, who implored Johnson to begin the procedure for the return of the Greek sculptures.
Johnson’s letter ended: “Much as I sympathise with the case for restitution to Athens, I feel that on balance I must defend the interests of London.”
