Statue

Sanctuary - king on left - Edward the Confessor

Erection date: 1854

Have we correctly identified this king?

Site: Westminster Sanctuary (4 memorials)

SW1, Broad Sanctuary, The Sanctuary, 1-8 Broad Sanctuary

The building is Grade II listed, a terrace of Bath stone buildings incorporating gateway to Dean's Yard. 1853-54 by Sir George Gilbert Scott. Some sources say these were built as houses which seems unlikely but they are certainly now used as offices.

Niches in the turrets, at first floor, house two very similar statues. The spandrels of the gateway are decorated with two roundels with portrait heads, one of which is crowned. These all seem to represent particular individuals but we can find no information, so we have to guess.

The statues are crowned and each clutches a model building, with slightly different fenestration. So we think they are the two kings central to the creation of Westminster Abbey: Edward the Confessor who, in 1042-52, (re)built St Peter's Abbey here, and Henry III who, in 1245, began the building of the current Abbey. Comparative beard lengths seem to corroborate our theory.

And the two heads must represent Victoria and Albert: the female wears a crown and the male doesn't, the date of the building, they even look like some of their portraits.

The memorial column in our photo is covered on its own page: Westminster School - old boys.

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This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Sanctuary - king on left - Edward the Confessor

Subjects commemorated i

Edward the Confessor

King of England. Son of Ethelred the Unready. Born between 1003 and 1005 at I...

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This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Sanctuary - king on left - Edward the Confessor

Also at this site i

Nearby Memorials

Imperial Hotel - statue 03 - Elizabeth I

Imperial Hotel - statue 03 - Elizabeth I

WC1, Russell Square

Unmistakably Queen Elizabeth I.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Sir John Cass Foundation, Aldgate - Charity boy

Sir John Cass Foundation, Aldgate - Charity boy

EC3, Aldgate, Primary School

This building now houses the Junior school of the Foundation established by Sir John Cass. Previously the Sir John Cass's Foundation Prim...

1 subject commemorated
Keats statue at Guy's Hospital

Keats statue at Guy's Hospital

SE1, Great Maze Pond, Guy's Hospital - the Colonnade

Unveiled by Andrew Motion, author of a Keats biography. The quotation comes from Keats’ epic poem "Fall of Hyperion. A Dream", 1819.

1 subject commemorated, 6 creators
Robert Grosvenor statue

Robert Grosvenor statue

SW1, Belgrave Square, By Wilton Crescent

{On the milestone on which he props his foot:} Chester 197 miles. (Right base of statue:} Sculpture by Jonathan Wylder 1998 {Front of...

10 subjects commemorated, 3 creators
Edward I

Edward I

WC1, High Holborn, 114 - 115, Kingsgate House

The sculptor's name is inscribed on the stone below the feet.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator