They dutifully carried out their religious duties while juggling their roles as estate owners, gentlemen and heads of their families while retiring at Fulham Palace.

Yet it can now be revealed that London’s Bishops also took another little-known duty extremely seriously - that of the glamorous, flashy host.

Archaeologists have discovered that former bishops secretly carved their faces into the Grade I-listed building in order to “leave their mark” and “show off” to their guests.

The detection of the secret faces only came about following a major £3.8million refurbishment of Fulham Palace ahead of it reopening to the public this week. The Bishops of London called the palace home from AD 704 up until as recent as 1973.

During the restoration, it was discovered that the busts outside the entrance showing a man and woman in a crown were in fact Bishop Howley - who was consecrated Bishop of London in 1813 until he became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1828 - and his wife.