In a moving celebration of legacy and leadership, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) unveiled a newly commissioned portrait of Charlotte Edwards in the Long Room at Lord’s. Painted by acclaimed artist Hero Johnson, the portrait honours Edwards’ unparalleled achievements in cricket — both as a legendary player and as a transformative coach — and marks a significant moment in the sport’s history.
The unveiling ceremony, held in the iconic Pavilion, saw Edwards joined by her family and the key figures who influenced her career. As the current Head Coach of the England women’s team and a former captain, Edwards continues to shape the game she once dominated on the field.
Having donned the England jersey in 309 matches across all formats — 23 Tests, 191 ODIs, and 95 T20Is — Charlotte Edwards carved out one of the most illustrious careers in cricket history. In 2009, she led England to glory in both the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, famously clinching the T20 title at Lord’s against New Zealand. Her leadership also delivered five Ashes series triumphs, cementing her legacy over a two-decade span as one of the game’s most decorated and influential figures.
Despite her busy coaching schedule, Edwards was heavily involved in the development of her portrait, dedicating significant time to the creative process. The emotional impact of seeing the finished piece was clear.
Introducing her response to the portrait, Edwards expressed her gratitude, “I want to thank MCC for this wonderful honour. I walked into the Long Room tonight and I was blown away seeing my portrait in this wonderful room with so many great players – it is truly special.”
Reflecting on the emotional significance, she added, “I think Hero [Johnson, the artist] has captured everything about me – when I first saw this it brought a tear to my eye.” In a heartfelt moment, she paid tribute to her late father, “I think my dad would have been very, very proud of this.”
The Lord’s Portrait Programme has been running in its current form for two decades, though MCC’s art collection dates back to the Victorian era. The Club’s dedicated museum, opened in the 1950s, is the oldest sporting museum in Europe and the second oldest in the world. Today, the MCC holds around 3,000 pictures, 287 of which are portraits. Edwards’ addition to this revered collection cements her place in the pantheon of cricketing greats.
Hero Johnson, the artist behind the work, is based in London and originally from Cornwall. A member of The Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Johnson is renowned for her depth of characterisation in portraiture. This commission, she noted, became more cerebral and introspective than originally planned.
Describing the evolution of her artistic approach, Johnson explained, “My original ideas had centred on the pitch and the physical nature of the sport, but having met Charlotte I started to appreciate how important the mental dimension of the game is, the strategy and psychology of it, and the necessary cricket brain, so it seemed as appropriate to show her in thought rather than action.”
Charlotte Edwards’ accomplishments as a coach now stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her playing accolades. From 1996 to 2016, she scored 1,676 Test runs at an average of 44.10, 5,992 WODI runs at 38.16 — including nine centuries — and 2,605 WT20I runs at 32.97. She also took 54 WODI wickets, with a best of 4/30, and held 78 catches across formats.
Her transition into coaching has been nothing short of remarkable. Edwards led the Southern Vipers to five titles — the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in 2020, 2021, and 2023, and the Charlotte Edwards Cup in 2022 and 2023. Under her guidance, the Southern Brave reached The Hundred finals in both 2021 and 2022, finally lifting the trophy in 2023.
She brought her expertise overseas too. In the Women’s Big Bash League, she led the Sydney Sixers to a record-breaking 11 group-stage victories in her first season. In the Women’s Premier League, she masterminded Mumbai Indians’ title triumphs in 2023 and 2025, with a strong third-place finish in 2024.
Her recent appointment as Head Coach of the England women’s team marks a bold new era, backed by her extensive experience and proven track record of success at both domestic and international levels.
Charlotte Goodhew, MCC’s Collections and Programmes Manager, spoke proudly of the portrait’s addition, “We are very proud of our portrait collection at Lord’s – some of cricket’s most illustrious personnel are on display around the Pavilion.”
She emphasised Edwards’ unique place in the history of the game, “Charlotte, thanks to her outstanding career and her position as a trailblazer in women’s cricket, very much adds to that pantheon, and we are delighted to make her portrait the newest addition to the iconic Long Room.”
As Charlotte Edwards takes her place among the legends of cricket — now in brushstrokes as well as statistics — her story continues to inspire. From commanding the pitch to commanding respect in every coaching role, she is a figure of enduring impact whose legacy now watches over the heart of cricket itself.
