Plaque

Queen's Tower - IC

Queen's Tower - IC Queen's Tower - IC

Erection date: 4/7/1887

Inscription

This stone was laid by Her Majesty Queen Victoria, Empress of India, on the 4th day of July 1887 in the 51st year of her reign.
President - His Royal Highness Albert Edward Prince of Wales.

The stone was laid only 14 days into her 51st year so we're taking this as a late commemoration of her Golden Jubilee. And the remaining tower we are taking as a memorial to the Institute of which it is the only remains.

Site: Queen's Tower - IC (2 memorials)

SW7, Imperial College Road, Queen's Tower

The day we visited seemed to be “Theodolite Day” – a local custom in which the lads and lasses bring their theodolites out onto the village green and, well, perform theodolisation, we guess.

A nearby information board gives: "The Queen's Tower is all that remains of the Imperial Institute, which was built to mark Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887.  It was 700 feet long with a central tower (the Queen's Tower) and smaller towers at the east and west ends {one tower at each end}.  When it was to be demolished in the early 1960s, the Victorian Society and John Betjeman campaigned against total demolition and the Queen's Tower was saved.
The Queen's Tower is 287 feet tall, clad in Portland stone and topped by a copper covered dome.  the internal wooden structure of the dome is an interesting example of Victorian craftsmanship.  Near the entrance to the tower are two large stone lions.  These are two of the four lions which flanked the entrance to the Imperial Institute.  The other two are now at the Commonwealth Institute in Holland Park.
The belfry contains the Alexandra peal of 10 bells.  Each bell is separately named after members of the Royal family - Queen Victoria, her three sons, her daughter-in-law Alexandra and her five Wales grand-children.  the bells are now rung on Royal Anniversaries between 1 and 2pm."

The architect of The Imperial Institute was T. E. Collcutt.  The building was demolished to make space for Imperial College which was expanding all around it.

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Queen's Tower - IC

Subjects commemorated i

Imperial Institute

Established in 1887 to promote research that would benefit the British Empire...

Read More

Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria

The fiftieth anniversary of the accession of Queen Victoria was celebrated on...

Read More

Queen Victoria

Reigned: 1837-1901, 64 years. Born Kensington Palace. Daughter of Edward, Duk...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Queen's Tower - IC

Created by i

King Edward VII

Reigned: 1901 - 1910. Born and died at Buckingham Palace. Victoria's eldest s...

Read More

Queen Victoria

Reigned: 1837-1901, 64 years. Born Kensington Palace. Daughter of Edward, Duk...

Read More

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Queen's Tower - IC

Also at this site i

Imperial Institute lions

Imperial Institute lions

Of the four lions that used to flank the entrance to the Imperial Institute t...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

National Provident - south

National Provident - south

EC3, Gracechurch Street, 48 - 51

The two NPI plaques are in the doorway on the right, at no 48; the Curtis plaque is to the left at no 51. NPI have made rather excessive ...

1 subject commemorated
Walter Sickert

Walter Sickert

NW1, Mornington Crescent, 6

Greater London Council Walter Sickert, 1860 - 1942, painter and etcher, lived and worked here.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Emile Ford

Emile Ford

W8, Kensington Church Street, 10

In our photo the plaque can be seen on the first floor, above the taxi.

1 subject commemorated, 3 creators
Freddie Mercury - lost memorial

Freddie Mercury - lost memorial

TW13, High Street Feltham, The Centre

The memorial was unveiled to great acclaim by Brian May and Mercury's mother Jer Bulsara. By about two years later it had disappeared. On...

1 subject commemorated
Boy and panyer

Boy and panyer

EC1, Panyer Alley

This naked boy sitting on his pannier (basket) is thought to refer to the bakers in the area selling their wares on the street from a bre...

1 subject commemorated