Two Glasgow Museums Pull Ancient Egyptian Mummies From View Over 'Consent' of the Dead

Two museums in Scotland have taken ancient Egyptian human remains off public view, saying the dead never agreed to be displayed, Fox News reports.

Kelvingrove. Glasgow Life, which runs the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, removed the mummy of the Egyptian priest Nekht, who lived more than 3,500 years ago, along with his painted coffin. The BBC reported the reason as the "absence of consent from the deceased individual or their descendants."

The Hunterian. The university museum will keep the sarcophagus of Lady Shep-En-Hor on show as funerary art but cover the mummified remains so she can no longer be seen. It said she "deserves privacy in death." It has also decided to stop putting human remains from outside the U.K. on open display, and says it wants to return such remains to their communities and nations of origin.

The reasoning. A Glasgow Life spokesperson told Fox the move "reflects contemporary museum practice," citing the International Council of Museums' revised Code of Ethics, published in June 2026, which says museums should "uphold the inherent dignity of human remains." The spokesperson also pointed to a 2025 report from a U.K. parliamentary group on African reparations. A draft Glasgow policy would allow display only with documented, informed consent from the person or, in suitable cases, descendants.

The open question. Fox notes the Hunterian's decision raises the question of whether museums should treat remains from the U.K. differently from those from abroad.

Note for readers: the museums' reasons are as stated by their spokespeople. Glasgow's draft policy is a proposal, not final.