Lord Elgin paid no British customs tax on Parthenon marbles, letters reveal

Documents from early 19th century show foreign secretary helped Elgin import huge shipments of sculptures

Lord Elgin imported the Parthenon marbles into Britain without paying customs tax after the foreign secretary intervened on his behalf, newly discovered letters reveal.

The documents, dating from the early 19th century, show that after he controversially stripped them from the frieze of the Parthenon in Athens, Elgin was helped to bring huge shipments of the sculptures to Britain by the senior minister, who knew what Elgin was up to", according to a historian of the period.