Why go
Like the earlier Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens, commemorating Victoria's consort, the Victoria Memorial has an elaborate scheme of iconographic sculpture. Proposal and announcements King Edward VII suggested that a joint Parliamentary committee should be formed to develop plans for a Memorial to Queen Victoria following her death.
What to look for
- The memorial weighs 2,300 tonnes and is 104 ft wide.
- The expectation was that the memorial would cost £200,000.
- By October 1901 some £154,000 had been gathered for the construction of the Memorial.
The full story
Designed in 1901, it was unveiled on 16 May 1911, though it was not completed until 1924. The central pylon of the memorial is of Pentelic marble, and individual statues are in Carrara marble and gilt bronze. The first meeting took place on 19 February 1901 at the Foreign Office, Whitehall. The first secretary of the committee was Arthur Bigge, 1st Baron Stamfordham. Initially these meetings were behind closed doors, and the proceedings were not revealed to the public. Reginald Brett, 2nd Viscount Esher, the secretary of the committee, submitted the proposal to the King on 4 March 1901. A number of sites were suggested, and the King visited both Westminster Abbey and the park near the Palace of Westminster.
Your next visit
Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.
Outdoor visit · 22–45 min
World planning estimate; admission, opening, visit duration and access need checking.