THE first public display of Prince George’ s official christening portrait will take place in North Yorkshire next month, as part of an exhibition of contemporary royal portraits.

Work by artists and photographers including Andy Warhol and Mario Testino will be on display at Beningbrough Hall, near York, from March 1.

Royals: then and now is a collection of artwork on loan from the National Portrait Gallery and will be on display until November 2.

It will include the first ever public display of Prince George of Cambridge’s official christening portrait by Jason Bell, which will be on show in the Visiting Portraits Gallery alongside the official engagement portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge by Mario Testino.

There will also be a range of portraits of the Queen, including Andy Warhol’s pop art silkscreen prints and a holographic close-up, called Lightness of Being by Chris Levine.

The portrait was taken while the Queen was resting her eyes between shots for another portrait that required her to pose still for eight seconds per shot. The resulting image shows the Queen with her eyes closed.

David Morgan, general manager at Beningbrough Hall, said: “This year’s display in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery means we are able to bring some of the most sought after and culturally important pieces of royal portraiture from the national collection to Yorkshire.”

The royal theme will continue throughout Beningbrough with a series of themed tours around the garden and below stairs, talks in the hall, special catering and retail ranges. There will also be a new family trail staring Clarence the corgi ready in time for the Easter holidays.

For opening times and more information visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/beningbrough