Statue

Temple Bar - Anne of Denmark

Erection date: 1672

Site: Temple Bar (5 memorials)

EC4, Paternoster Square

We found the following at Discovering Dickens
"An 18th-century account of it, from Harrison’s New and Universal History, Description and Survey of ... London (1776): This is a very handsome and noble gate, with a postern on each side for the convenience of foot-passengers. It is built entirely of Portland stone, of rustic work below, and of the Corinthian order. The great arch is elliptical, and very flat, and the whole forms a very elegant appearance. Over the gateway, on the east side, in two niches, are stone statues of queen Elizabeth {we believe this is incorrect and the statue is actually of James's consort, Anne of Denmark} and king James I with the king’s arms over the keystone; and on the west side are the statues of king Charles I and king Charles II in Roman habits."

For more on its history see Temple Bar.

With the Temple Bar in its new location the statues are arranged as follows:
On the north face:
North face, to the left - Anne of Denmark
North face, to the right - King James I
South face, to the left - King Charles I
South face, to the right - King Charles II

What is it with theses monarchs - they won't look you in the eye? Except for Charles II, and he is looking exceptionally ugly. These four statues are the originals. Other carvings on the monument had been lost and were recreated by Tim Crawley as part of the 2004 restoration.

Note: the tall column at the centre of the Square carries no inscription but is rumoured to be a memorial to the 20,000 or 6 million (numbers vary, and how can anyone know anyway?) books lost in the London Blitz, this being a centre of the printing trade at the time. We can find no official statement of this and will not honour the monument with its own entry in London Remembers until we do. The 23 metre column was designed by the architects for the whole Square, Whitfield Partners, and it is said to be a recreation of one of the Inigo Jones columns on the previous St Paul’s Cathedral, lost in the Great Fire. More functionally, it cleverly conceals a ventilation shaft to the service road below.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Temple Bar - Anne of Denmark

Subjects commemorated i

Queen Anne of Denmark

Born Denmark. Married King James I in 1589. Mother of Charles I. She is said ...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Temple Bar - Anne of Denmark

Created by i

John Bushnell

More about Bushnell's work at 3rd Dimension.

Read More

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Temple Bar - Anne of Denmark

Also at this site i

Nearby Memorials

Westminster Abbey F - Oscar Romero

Westminster Abbey F - Oscar Romero

SW1, Broad Sanctuary, Westminster Abbey - west porch

Fourteen niches on the West Front remained empty since the Abbey was built until 1998 when they were filled. The lower four are filled wi...

1 subject commemorated, 4 creators
Coram statue

Coram statue

WC1, Brunswick Square, Foundling Museum

The base of the statue is inscribed "Wm. MacMillan Sc. 1963". The pose is taken from Hogarth's portrait. Unveiled by Princess Anne.

1 subject commemorated, 4 creators
FCO - B unknown

FCO - B unknown

SW1, Horse Guards Road, Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The Foreign Office was completed in 1873 to the 1861 designs of Sir George Gilbert Scott, with Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt for the St James’s...

Frieze of Parnassus - Michelangelo - sculptor

Frieze of Parnassus - Michelangelo - sculptor

SW7, Kensington Road

The monument, officially titled the Prince Consort National Memorial, celebrates Victorian achievement and Prince Albert's passions and i...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
V&A façade - Flaxman

V&A façade - Flaxman

SW7, Cromwell Road

Excluding the allegories (such as Knowledge) there are 36 statues on the two public façades of the V&A Museum, on Exhibition Road and...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator

Previously viewed

Private Richard Cripps

Private Richard Cripps

Richard Cripps was born in Hull, Yorkshire, a younger son of John Cripps (b. circa 1851) and Isabella Cripps (1844-1899). His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1882 in the Sculcoates regis...

Person, Armed Forces, France

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
John Downing

John Downing

Role on the lost expedition: Petty officer on SS Erebus. See John Franklin.

Person, Exploring, Tragedy

1 memorial