An iconic Churchill photo stolen in Canada and found in Italy is ready to return

A ceremony at the Canadian Embassy in Rome has marked the successful recovery of a stolen photo portrait of Winston Churchill, known as “The Roaring Lion,” after a two-year search. Italy's Carabinieri police handed over the portrait to the Canadian ambassador to Italy, Elissa Goldberg, who praised the cooperation between Italian and Canadian investigators that led to the recovery. The 1941 portrait of the British leader was taken by Ottawa photographer Yousuf Karsh. Canadian police say it was stolen from the Fairmont Château Laurier hotel in Ottawa sometime between Christmas 2021 and Jan. 2022, and replaced with a forgery. The original was found to have been sold at auction and the Italian buyer has returned it.