Monument

Victoria's column

Erection date: 19/10/1904

Inscription

{On the north facing plinth, a bronze plaque:}
In memory of Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, born in Kensington Palace, 24th May 1819, this column was erected by the inhabitants of the Royal Borough of Kensington, 1904.
Lewis H. Isaacs - Mayor
W. Chambers Leete - Town Clerk
H. L. Florence - architect

{On the ornate band (annulet) halfway up the pillar, behind the relief bust:}
Victoria Queen and Empress

Unveiled by Princess Louise, and her husband the Duke of Argyll in 1904 in Kensington High Street, opposite St Mary Abbots Church, close to where the war memorial now is. The ever-interesting Library Time Machine has a photo (end of the page) of the column in this location. Moved to current location 1934.

One can see why Mr Leete preferred using his middle name in full rather than just the initial. Florence, who was in partnership with Isaacs, designed the work at no cost. Brindley sculpted the work and his firm, Farmer & Brindley, erected it.

There are not many memorials raised to Victoria in commemoration after her death. This is because there were plans for a national memorial (the statue outside Buckingham Palace) so local memorials were not encouraged. Many of the statues, busts, etc. for Queen Victoria were erected during her lifetime, often celebrating her jubilees. The 1903 statue in Croydon is probably another example of a local memorial to the recently deceased monarch.

Site: Queen Victoria's column and water trough (2 memorials)

W14, Warwick Gardens

The RBKC pdf gives: "The widening of the High Street in 1934 necessitated the removal of the column from its original site {and the trough from a different original site} to the northern end of Warwick Gardens. The space was originally intended to be the centre of a garden square until the plans were changed to give access to Pembroke Road."

What are all these palm trees doing at this corner? We counted four, including the massive one which is obscuring the column. It meant we had no chance of getting a photo of the relief bust on the north side, so we are grateful that someone managed it and put it on Pinterest.

The (not great) 1955 film The Gilded Cage has a short shot of this monument before the palms arrived, and showing the nice houses that used to be on Kensington High Street at this junction before the large blocks of flats arrived. And the wonderful ReelStreets has the image.

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:
Victoria's column

Subjects commemorated i

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:
Victoria's column

Created by i

Farmer & Brindley

Firm of sculptors. Founded by William Farmer (1825-1879) and William Brindley...

Read More

Princess Louise Duchess of Argyll

Born at Buckingham Palace, sixth child of Queen Victoria. Was a talented scul...

Read More

William Brindley

Sculptor and carver. Born Derbyshire. Worked with William Farmer. Died Hampsh...

Read More

W. Chambers-Leete

Town Clerk of the Royal Borough of Kensington, 1904 - 1916, at least. Kensin...

Read More

H. L. Florence

Architect, Born Henry Louis Florence. 1875 he is credited with Stourbridge &a...

Read More

Show all 6

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Victoria's column

Also at this site i

Water trough - R. McC.

Water trough - R. McC.

From the RBKC pdf: "This trough was originally erected in 1900 in Kensington ...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

St George in the East war memorial

St George in the East war memorial

E1, Cannon Street Road, St George's Gardens

The "Give thanks" phrase does not appear to be a quotation, as we first thought, or if it is, it's eluded us. St George's website has a ...

War dead | WW1
98 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
St George's Camberwell war memorial

St George's Camberwell war memorial

SE5, Wells Way, St George's Church

This sculptured face is remarkably modern, almost mask-like. The statue was stolen in August 1991 but was found 2 weeks later in a Brixto...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
St Bartholomew's Hospital - Sir William Wallace

St Bartholomew's Hospital - Sir William Wallace

EC1, West Smithfield, St Bartholomew's Hospital

2019: Scott Kelly informed us of the work he and his colleagues do, looking after this monument. It's a splendid memorial and we thank th...

1 subject commemorated
Burdett-Coutts Memorial Sundial

Burdett-Coutts Memorial Sundial

NW1, Pancras Road, St Pancras Gardens

This elaborate piece of high Victoriana was designed by George Highton of Brixton in the decorative gothic style and is Grade II listed. ...

75 subjects commemorated, 2 creators
Susanna Wesley monument

Susanna Wesley monument

EC1, City Road

The plaque is on the yellow brick wall, hidden by the bush with red flowers.

5 subjects commemorated

Previously viewed

Violette Szabo, GC, CdeG

Violette Szabo, GC, CdeG

British secret agent in WW2. Born in Paris as Violette Bushell of a French mother and English father who met in WW1. With 4 brothers she was a bit of a tomboy. From Violette Szabo Museum "The Bushe...

Person, Espionage, Execution, France

War dead, WW2
6 memorials
4th Duke of Wellington

4th Duke of Wellington

SW1, Lowndes Square, 11

The 4th Duke of Wellington, Sir Arthur Charles Wellesley, KG, GCVO, DL, GC of Charles III (Spain), CGTS (Portugal) 1849 - 1934, lived her...

1 subject commemorated
Richardo Flores Magon

Richardo Flores Magon

Anarchist activist. Born Mexico. His activities, with his two brothers, caused his exile to the US in 1904. He spent the rest of his life in the States, half of it in prison. Died in died at Leaven...

Person, Politics & Administration, Mexico, USA

1 memorial
Grigory B. Karasin

Grigory B. Karasin

Grigory Borisovich Karasin was born on 23 August 1949 in Moscow, Russia and was his country's ambassador to the United Kingdom from March 2000 to June 2005. His Wikipedia page gives details of his ...

Person, Politics & Administration, Russia

2 memorials
Alderman Wilfred E. Mullen

Alderman Wilfred E. Mullen

Mayor of Holborn in September 1942.  In the picture he's the chap in the white gloves and necklace.

Person, Politics & Administration

1 memorial