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Legal row could finally force mystery artist Banksy to reveal his real name

Two art collectors are taking legal action against artist over his ‘refusal’ to confirm the authenticity of one of his famous images

His identity has long been a matter of speculation and investigation, but Banksy may be forced to reveal his real name if a dispute over a print of the late Queen Elizabeth depicted as a bejewelled primate ends up in court. They sent the artwork to Pest Control, explaining that they had acquired it for £30,000 in 2020 from the estate of a recently deceased, established Banksy collector, but that there seemed to be noaccompanying paperwork detailing its collecting history. Katz, 65, a Londoner who owns a quarry and an art collection that includes a large number of Banksy works, said that Monkey Queen is worth between £55,000 and £70,000 and he is outraged by Pest Control’s delay: “We’re in no man’s land, and it’s a lot of money.

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