Plaque

Senate House

Inscription

This stone was laid by His Majesty King George V on the twenty-sixth day of June 1933 in the twenty-fourth year of his reign. Her Majesty Queen Mary being present on the occasion.

The University has a grainy film of the ceremony when this stone was unveiled. It was a very grand occasion, attended by 3,000 people including Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, the Archbishop of Canterbury and representatives of education from all over the world. The King and Queen arrived in a horse-drawn carriage and first inspected a guard of honour. There was a procession of men in mortar-boards and ermine gowns. All for the laying of a foundation stone.

As part of the ceremony the King packed and buried a casket containing newspapers of the day, a programme of the event, etc. It also contains a 1933 penny, one of only about 8 that were minted. The Royal Mint had decided that no pennies were need for the currency that year and so the only pennies that were minted were for burying under buildings, plus one or two for museums. Thus the penny in this casket is worth a "pretty penny" (sorry). We've heard that the casket is buried very deep, not just behind the foundation stone - that would be stupid.

Site: Senate House (1 memorial)

WC1, Malet Street

Senate House and the surrounding buildings were planned as phase 1 of a huge complex which would have taken in all the land to the north between Malet Street and Woburn Square, up to Byng Place. Senate House was built as, and remains, the administrative centre for the University of London.

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:
Senate House

Subjects commemorated i

Senate House

The first purpose-built home and administrative centre for the University of ...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Senate House

Created by i

King George V

Reigned: 1910 - 1936.  Born third in line to the throne, after his father (wh...

Read More

Queen Mary (consort)

Wife of George V, grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II. Born Princess Victoria M...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Wong Kei Restaurant - Henry Irving

Wong Kei Restaurant - Henry Irving

W1, Wardour Street, 41

The house was designed and built for Clarkson's theatrical costume shop. His celebrated theatrical clients laid the foundation and coping...

1 subject commemorated
Grodzinski's bakery

Grodzinski's bakery

E11, Fieldgate Street, Fieldgate Street Synagogue

The Grodzinski plaque can be seen in our photo just to the right of the 'one way' sign. The synagogue inscription is on the cream upright...

1 subject commemorated
Abram Games

Abram Games

NW11, The Vale, 41

Abram Games, 1914 - 1996, poster artist and designer, lived and worked here, 1948 - 1996. English Heritage

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Black Prince Road ceramics - plaque 06

Black Prince Road ceramics - plaque 06

SE11, Black Prince Road, Tunnel underneath railway bridge

We think this image has been based on this photo of the boxer Mohammad Ali (previously known as Cassius Clay).

1 subject commemorated
Bandstand - Queen's Park

Bandstand - Queen's Park

NW6, Queen's Park, Brondesbury

The plaque is on the wall beside the steps. It's a pity that the paint-brush operative hadn't been better trained. Queen's Park was offi...

1 subject commemorated