The National Trust has enraged its members by covering up an art piece about female empowerment when an activist restored JK Rowling's name after it had been stitched over.
The public were invited to sew inspiring words and the names of women they would like to celebrate into some fabric as part of an art piece called A Virtuous Woman, commissioned by Leeds University and the Trust.
It was held at the charity's building Hardwick Hall, in Derbyshire. The artwork invited visitors to 'express their choices through participation'.
Names on display include Kamala Harris, Queen Elizabeth, Mary Berry, Tina Turner and Marie Curie.
But the controversial children's author's name was spotted stitched over with blue and pink thread to cross it out.
Jean Hatchet, a women's rights activist, walked over rope blocking the artwork and cleared up JK Rowling's name so it could be clearly visible once again.
In a post on X that has been viewed close to 120,000 times, she said: 'Injustice to JK Rowling corrected. Don’t erase the names of women from art or life.
'Your member of staff calls the artwork "damaged" by us. Have you lost your goddamn minds? Apologise to women immediately.'
The National Trust has enraged its members by covering up an art piece about female empowerment when an activist restored JK Rowling's name after it had been stitched over
It's not clear who stitched over Rowling's name and if it was a different person to who sewed it on
Jean Hatchet, a women's rights activist, walked over rope blocking the artwork and cleared up the author's name so it could be clearly visible once again
The Trust said: 'We are deeply disappointed that visitors tampered with this piece of art on Saturday.
'It has been closed to new contributions since the end of November last year. While the artwork encourages consideration, debate and discussion, we ask that this is carried out in a respectful way.'
Just days after the activist 'corrected' the name, the charity had completely covered up the art with a white sheet and a sign that reads: 'Unfortunately, the artwork has been tampered with by a member of the public. Please bear with us while we assess the piece and decide on the best course of action.'
The activist added: 'So, there was no issue that someone “tampered” with the embroidering of a woman’s name.
'By contrast a woman - me - very carefully removing that hateful stitching with the correct tool and taking great time and care as can be seen - is guilty of something they need to cover up.'
The Trust's response has been dubbed 'stitchgate' and has sparked outrage from members who have threatened to cancel their membership.
'It was not respectful to deface JK Rowling's name in the first place. It was right for the defacement to be removed. We have been members for over 30 years. I will be cancelling my membership,' one took to X to say.
Another said: 'During the pandemic, I took out membership of @nationaltrust. I am now cancelling it. Stitching over @jk_rowling name because they disagree with her support of women’s rights is the last straw.'
The National Trust completely covered up the artwork with a white sheet and a sign that reads: 'Unfortunately, the artwork has been tampered with by a member of the public. Please bear with us while we assess the piece and decide on the best course of action'
Ms Hatchet (pictured) called on the Trust to 'apologise to women immediately'
The public were invited to sew inspiring words and the names of women they would like to celebrate into some fabric as part of an art piece called A Virtuous Woman at Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire
'And as such I have "respectfully" cancelled the family membership that I've had for the last decade. Honestly, how dare you?,' a third complained.
Olympian silver medalist Sharron Davies weighed in on the debate: 'I cancelled my membership to the years ago when they started apologies for Britain’s history & achievements.'
Workers at the foundation have stormed out in protest too: 'You've managed to lose two volunteers in Devon this morning who have spent years helping preserve the holiday home of one of our most famous female authors - all because you have attempted to erase another of our most famous female authors.'
Derbyshire and Staffordshire's Women's Rights Network, who the National Trust is a member of, said they were 'upset' her name was crossed out but when their member saw this stitch work they raised a verbal complaint with the Hall’s curator.
They were told 'because it was someone’s view they felt the stitching should stay to respect that one person’s view. When asked where the respect was for the person who originally stitched the name, she could not answer,' according to Gender Blog.
'Why it is acceptable to erase the name of renowned charity donor and women’s refuge provider JK Rowling, but then to cover up this piece now that her name is fully visible to all? An explanation is needed,' the said on X, calling on the Trust.
The activist group protested at the site placing stitching over their mouths and holding up a poster that says 'National Trust strikes out JK Rowling'.
The National Trust told MailOnline: 'The artwork was open to contributions for 8 months and closed in November when the piece was finished and put on public display.
'During the participation phase, JK Rowling's name was stitched onto the piece seven times and in two instances it was stitched over by other participants. At the time the artwork was completed and subsequently hung, JK Rowling's name appeared five times without any overstitching.
'We ask people not to damage or tamper with artworks once they are finished and on public display. The piece has been taken off display for investigation and to protect it from further tampering or damage. We take all claims and incidents of damage to items in our care seriously and investigate each one.'
Derbyshire and Staffordshire's Women's Rights Network, who the National Trust is a member of protested at the site placing stitching over their mouths and holding up a poster that says 'National Trust strikes out JK Rowling'
The Trust's response has sparked outrage from members who have threatened to cancel their membership
It comes after a long history of rows involving the charity where tens of thousands of National Trust members have quit their memberships as the public have grown fed up of their 'woke' antics.
It lost a staggering 89,000 members last year which will set you back £96, after they increased its prices this year by nearly six per cent.
In April, members were 'appalled' by the decision to hand back the running of a Tudor mansion to its previous owners after a £3.3million restoration was carried out.
It had been owned by the charity since 1946 before the Throckmorton family had requested to take back the running of Coughton Court in Alcester, Warwickshire, from February 2026.
But the announcement sparked a furious backlash from members who have been told they would then no longer be able to visit the country estate for free.
Customers also complained when in 2023 its calendar excluded Christmas and Easter, while including other religions' festivals.
The 'inclusivity and wellbeing' calendar, which was provided for volunteers, includes Hinduism's Diwali, and Islam's Eid and Ramadan - with no sign of Christian holidays.
The National Trust's chairman even blasted the organisation's 'woke' direction and vowed to not get embroiled in political rows.
It follows the Trust's embroilment in controversy in 2020 when accusations from rebel members said it was 'trampling on our history' by publishing a report into the colonialist history of its houses that was 'littered with inaccuracies'.
The charity was in a battle with splinter group Restore Trust, whose members were enraged by the way some of its properties had been 'blacklisted' over alleged links to colonialism and slavery.
The homes of Winston Churchill and Rudyard Kipling are among almost 100 National Trust properties which the charity called out to have links to slavery and colonialism.
However, the National Trust still remains one of the largest landowners in the UK, with more than 500 historic properties, gardens and nature reserves and celebrated 130 years in January.
