THE Archbishop of York has taken pride of place among his predecessors, with the unveiling of his official portrait.

Guests gathered at Bishopthorpe Palace yesterday for the first showing of the oil on canvas painting by Jane Allison, who had previously painted Dr John Sentamu when he was Bishop of Birmingham.

The painting took eight sittings over the course of a year, and shows the Archbishop in a ceremonial cloak which dates back to the time of Archbishop William Maclagan in the early 1900s.

Dr Sentamu wore it to his daughter’s wedding and it is soon to be restored.

He praised the artist’s attention to detail and said: “It’s almost unique in looking like photography.”

Ms Allison said painting such an elaborate cloak was a refreshing change from grey suits, and said of the picture: “I am pleased with it. It ranks as probably my favourite portrait, partly because the subject was so good.”

The picture is hung to the left of the fireplace in the Bishopthorpe Palace Drawing Room, and is historically accurate in showing the Archbishop without his dog collar, which he cut up in protest at Robert Mugabe’s rule of Zimbabwe.

Ms Allison said she had hoped Mugabe would have gone by the time she finished, so she could include it.

She joked that she could add it in at a later date, but Dr Sentamu said: “It is a non-runner. The thing has been unveiled and that’s how it will be.”