Catherine de’ Medici 1561 portrait to return to London mansion

Painting has been acquired for nation and will be reinstalled at Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham

A monumental portrait of Catherine de' Medici, one of the most powerful women in 16th-century Europe, will return to Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham after it was acquired for the nation in lieu of tax.

The picture was originally installed in the gothic revival mansion built by Horace Walpole, who acquired it 247 years ago, and was part of an important collection amassed by the son of Sir Robert Walpole, Britain's first prime minister and a pivotal figure in 18th-century society and the arts.