Hauser & Wirth, the prestigious art gallery where Princess Eugenie holds a directorship, has been cleared of violating Russian sanctions following a court ruling this Thursday.
Judge Tony Baumgardner, sitting as the Recorder of Westminster at Southwark Crown Court, dismissed criminal charges against the gallery after determining that prosecutors had failed to establish that the buyer, Alexander Popov, was residing in Russia at the time of the transaction.
The gallery, which operates from Savile Row in Mayfair and has international locations in New York and Hong Kong, had faced accusations relating to the sale of artwork to Mr Popov.
The charges, brought in November 2025, named both Hauser & Wirth and shipping firm Artay Rauchwerger Solomons as defendants in connection with the sale of a work on paper titled “Escape From Humanity” by American artist George Condo.
Hauser & Wirth, the prestigious art gallery where Princess Eugenie holds a directorship, has been cleared of violating Russian sanctions following a court ruling this Thursday
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Mr Condo’s pieces have previously commanded substantial prices, with one work fetching approximately £5million at auction in Hong Kong.
Prosecutors alleged that Mr Popov was a Russian resident and that the transaction contravened UK sanctions prohibiting the export of luxury items to Russia.
These restrictions, implemented following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, ban the transfer of luxury goods valued above £250 to Russia or for Russian use.
During the application to dismiss the charges, heard in early May, defence barrister Hugo Keith KC suggested the prosecution might never have proceeded had delivery company DHL not mistakenly recorded a Moscow address rather than one in Armenia.
Princess Eugenie studied History of Art at Newcastle University
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Mr Keith highlighted that Mr Popov, who has never been subject to individual sanctions, had let out his Moscow flat and was relocating his “life’s work” away from Russia whilst distancing himself from President Putin’s regime.
The defence presented evidence demonstrating that Mr Popov had given up his Russian citizenship and acquired properties in both Bosnia and Armenia.
Prosecutor Kevin Dent KC had argued that Mr Popov and his wife were described as “young and dynamic collectors based in Russia” in early 2022, with a foundation situated in central Moscow.
However, Judge Baumgardner accepted that Mr Popov had been distancing himself from Russia, stating: “Although the artwork was made available to Mr Popov, I have found the prosecution couldn’t prove he was a person connected with Russia.
Princess Eugenie, Demi Moore and Eric Buterbaugh pictured at Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles in 2019
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“That failure is fatal to all counts.”
Princess Eugenie, who has served as a director at Hauser & Wirth since 2015, faced no allegations of wrongdoing throughout the proceedings.
The case, originating from an HM Revenue and Customs investigation, was understood to be the first prosecution of its kind concerning luxury goods sanctions allegations.