Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow has removed ancient Egyptian mummified remains from public display, saying it does not have the “informed consent” of the people who died. The move has drawn criticism from politicians and visitors, who accuse the museum of “woke madness”.
Among the items no longer visible are a mummified male head and right foot, as well as a mummified right hand recovered from the Valley of the Kings in Luxor. A painted coffin containing the remains of a priest has also been taken off display. The artefacts are said to be between 2,000 and 5,000 years old.
Sign explains removal
A picture shared on social media showed a new sign in place of the exhibits. It read: “We have removed human remains from this display as a mark of respect.”
Glasgow Life, the charity that runs the museum and is funded by Glasgow City Council, says the move reflects contemporary museum practice. The charity said it was working to remove “archaeological human remains from the History Discovery Centre and the Scotland’s Early People gallery at Kelvingrove Museum”.
It added: “Once we have completed work at Kelvingrove Museum, work will begin to remove a coffin and mummified human remains on display in St Mungo Museum.”
Political backlash
Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser criticised the changes after they were first reported by the Daily Mail. He said: “This is woke madness at its most ridiculous. Even Egyptian mummies are now being cancelled by a society so obsessed with modern sensibilities that it has lost all sense of perspective.
“People visit museums to learn about ancient civilisations, not to see history hidden away because it fails to meet today's ideological standards. Glasgow's museums should be showcasing our history, not quietly removing it to appease the latest trend in political correctness.”
Visitor Jonny McFarlane said on social media that he had taken his daughter to see the mummy because she had a “book on the ancient Egyptians and has been quite animated by it”. He added: “All 'human remains' gone with the following sign up in place of exhibits that have been there for years.”
Museum defends decision
Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education and a former adviser to the Policy Unit at 10 Downing Street, described the move as “more virtue-signalling, woke nonsense”. He added: “It represents the triumph of educational stupidity and ignorance. It is not possible to seek permission from those who died thousands of years ago.” He argued the remains could still be shown respectfully, pointing to how museums in Egypt approach such displays.
A Glasgow Life spokesman said: “The removal of human remains from display at Glasgow Life museums reflects contemporary museum practice.
“The International Council of Museums' revised Code of Ethics, published in June 2026, states that museums 'should uphold the inherent dignity of human remains and promote respect for their significance'.
“The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Afrikan Reparations 2025 report, 'Laying Ancestors to Rest', also raises ethical concerns about the display of ancient Egyptian human remains due to the consistent disregard of the potential wishes of the ancestors and the intention of the communities that originally laid them to rest.
“Glasgow Life Museums' draft Human Remains Policy proposes that human remains should only be displayed where there is documented and informed consent from the deceased individual or, in appropriate circumstances, their descendants.
“In the absence of such consent, we believe removing ancient Egyptian human remains from display is more respectful to the deceased individuals.”
