Ancient swords from the royal collection have been held back from an exhibition believed to have been held in Russia, the institution has confirmed.

The three weapons were going to be loaned to museums in the Kremlin in Moscow, but permission was “postponed” in mid-February as tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated.

The move was mirrored by other museums across Europe holding back exhibits for “The Duel: From Trial by Combat to a Noble Crime,” which was due to open on March 4 but has been postponed.

A Royal Collection Trust spokesperson said: “The decision to postpone the loan of three swords from the Royal Collection to the Kremlin Museums in Moscow was taken in mid-February.”

The Russian institution said on its website: “The Moscow Kremlin Museums report the postponement of the exhibition ‘Duel: From Trial by Combat to a Noble Crime’, which was scheduled to open on March 4, 2022. .

“The heart of the project is made up of exhibitions from European museums, which were forced to withdraw them early due to the geopolitical situation.”

The swords in the Royal Collection are said to date from the 17th century and must have represented weapons used in historical duels, one of which would have belonged to Charles 1st.