Negotiations about Britain returning the Elgin Marbles are ‘effectively over’, it is understood.
The ancient sculptures were brought to the UK in the early 19th century from Greece by Thomas Bruce, seventh Earl of Elgin, while the country was under Ottoman rule.
Talks were reopened with the British Museum in 2021 amid efforts to repatriate the marbles – with Greece claiming they are their rightful owner and want them returned permanently.
However, talks are now said to have ground to a halt amid frustrations in Greece about a lack of progress.
It comes despite former chancellor and British Museum chairman George Osborne insisting there
To provide well-rounded coverage and a breadth of insight across various events, we rely on contributions from several staff writers, each bringing their own area of expertise to our publication.