The Roaring Lion Returns

After nearly two years, The Roaring Lion, Yousef Karsh’s iconic portrait of Winston Churchill, will soon return to the walls of Fairmont Château Laurier, where Karsh always intended it to reside.

Karsh, a celebrated resident photographer at the hotel for 19 years, gifted this world-renowned portrait to the Château, forever linking it to the hotel’s storied legacy.

Stolen during the pandemic between December 25, 2021, and January 6, 2022, the original portrait was replaced with an imitation, deceiving everyone until a hotel employee discovered the theft in August 2022.

Now, in a heartwarming turn of events, The Roaring Lion has been recovered. The team from Château Laurier retrieved the portrait in Rome, following an official handover at the Canadian Embassy in September of 2024.

Remarkably, only 3% of stolen artwork is ever recovered, making this return a rare and extraordinary event. We are thrilled to be part of this inspiring journey and look forward to placing The Roaring Lion back in its rightful home, where it will continue to captivate visitors and honor the legacy of one of the greatest photographers of all time.

Await the reveal for its return to the Château’s walls  —where art, history, and Karsh’s vision come to life once again.