Prince Andrew’s symbol of disgrace is to be bought by the stately national gallery… because it can be put on public display for millions of visitors to see

Prince Andrew faces an extraordinary public humiliation as the National Portrait Gallery looks set to acquire a photograph of him from his memorable Newsnight interview.

That could mean putting it on public display, where millions of visitors could see a transcript of what is widely regarded as the most disastrous interview in the royal family’s history, when the BBC’s Emily Maitlis questioned the Duke of York about sexual allegations made against him.

His failure to apologise for his friendship with paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein led to him being stripped of his royal title and duties.

The gallery – a public body affiliated to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport – said last night it was considering adding the painting to its permanent collection.

The photo shows the moment after the audition when the Prince naively tells his interrogator, “That went well, didn’t it?” as they stroll through Buckingham Palace together.

Prince Andrew pictured with Emily Maitlis from BBC Newsnight ahead of the interview in which he spoke for the first time about his links with Jeffrey Epstein

Prince Andrew and Virginia Roberts Giuffre, 17, photographed together at Ghislaine Maxwell’s home in London, March 13, 2001.

Virginia Roberts Giuffre speaks to the press outside a Manhattan courthouse in 2019 following the death of Jeffrey Epstein in his prison cell

The late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Andrew watch the planes fly over from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping The Colour, the Queen’s annual Birthday Parade, June 8, 2019.

Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell photographed together in New York in 2005.

Royal commentator Margaret Holder said displaying the effigy would be “a symbol of his disgrace and downfall as a son of a monarch, a brother of a monarch and a father”.

The gallery’s royal patron is the Princess of Wales, but she has no say in what works are added to the gallery’s collection. After six months of private talks, gallery bosses are expected to make a final decision soon. However, sources say a verdict has been withheld until a new chief curator is appointed.

The photo was first judged by the gallery’s curatorial team after being suggested by photographer Mark Harrison, who already has photos there.

The gallery has passed its “first curatorial acquisitions meeting,” which, according to its website, means it “is confident that an offer to purchase should be made.”

The print must be delivered to the gallery and viewed, then considered by the curators at a second meeting and the board of trustees, who will make the final decision.

Emily Maitlis on controversial interview with Duke of York about his links to Jeffrey Epstein

Prince Andrew pictured with his wife Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York and daughters Beatrice and Eugenia

The board is appointed by the Prime Minister and includes Carphone Warehouse co-founder David Ross, historian Simon Sebag-Montefiore and artist Jonathan Yeo, who painted the first official portrait of King Charles since his coronation.

The gallery, which welcomes more than 1.6 million visitors a year, says it is “the national museum responsible for the history of British portraiture. Its mission is to maintain a collection of portraits of the most distinguished people in British history.”

Gallery sources said no decision has been made yet on whether to publicly display the photographs. However, all acquisitions are automatically displayed on the website.

It comes after reports that the Duke will be forced to leave the Royal Lodge, with the King no longer prepared to pay the estimated £3 million-a-year security costs. Ms Holder said the acquisition of the photograph, which is linked to a “watershed moment” in the Duke’s “downfall”, could embarrass the Princess of Wales.

She added: “I would like to ask the gallery to consider whether they really want to create problems for their clients.”

She added that the takeover is “a further humiliation for Prince Andrew at a time when there is much talk that the King wants him to leave the Royal Lodge.”

The Duke of York at the Pitch@Palace event at Buckingham Palace in London in June 2019.

Virginia Roberts Giuffre speaks with Savannah Guthrie and several other women on Dateline NBC’s Reckoning on the evening of September 20, 2019.

Prince Andrew leaving the Chinawhite nightclub in London on July 28, 2000.

Royal biographer Hugo Vickers told The Mail on Sunday that he had no objection to the gallery acquiring the painting, but there was a question over whether it should be put on public display.

He said: “The Newsnight interview was an iconic interview – my instinct would be to get it but then put it in the library. They don’t have to put it on display, they can just preserve it. But in a hundred years’ time it might be particularly interesting for one reason or another.”

Mr Harrison said last night he was surprised anyone knew about his talks with the gallery, which he added had been taking place “over the last six months”.

Andrew Lownie, who is working on a biography of Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York, said the gallery should acquire the painting.

He said: “I’m sure Prince Andrew won’t be happy about it because the interview wasn’t his finest moment. But the interview and the photo are part of the story.

“It’s an iconic image and should be in the collection. The gallery’s job is to capture images and stories, and this photograph is part of that.”