I will go to look at the new memorial to Diana, Princess of Wales, but at first sight it does not appeal. Perhaps it will look better in the context of its garden setting outside Kensington Palace.
I did admire a magnificent bronze memorial to Queen Alexandra set into the garden wall of Marlborough House as I walked to St James’s on a wet morning last week. I like the Wiki comment about her: “Alexandra’s family had been relatively obscure until 1852”. However, by the time she married the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) in 1863 her father was King of Denmark and a brother King of Greece. Edward did not succeed Queen Victoria until 1901 making Alexandra the longest serving Princess of Wales – a title that Diana might have quite easily claimed under happier circumstances.
Some insights into her character are provided by James Pope-Hennessy in his notes for his biography of Queen Mary. She was an accomplished carriage driver, was deaf, often generous and kind but not always in tune with her children. She was usually incredibly late for appointments. On an overseas trip she delayed her departure and the railway timetable for the continent was thrown into disarray for twenty-four hours. When the Queen went to the recent G7 summit in Cornwall trains were delayed but only for about thirty minutes. (I heard this from a passenger waiting to disembark at St Austell.)
So many true princesses who have gone .. Edward Elgar wrote this Memorial Ode for the unveiling ceremony in 1932.
The memorial to Queen Alexandra was sculpted by Sir Alfred Gilbert who was also the sculptor of the Shaftesbury Memorial at Piccadilly Circus ( i.e. Eros)
It was a very special commission as Gilbert had been ‘exiled’ overseas for many years having, despite his fame, gone bust in 1901. For this late work he was invited back to Britain, and created this delightful image of the young girl stepping over the stream of life, with a flow of actual water in the sculpture. It was cast at Burton’s in Thames Ditton, near where some of us now compete in the sport of racing punting.
There is ( or was, I can’t quite see from Christopher’s photograph) a kind of grille over the flowing water. I assume this was not part of the original design and was added relatively recently as an anti- vandalism/terrorism measure. It adds nothing and, if I am correct in thinking it is an addition, perhaps it could be removed?
You are right. If you are able to expand my picture the grille can be seen. I wonder if it was added because of problems with the plumbing? Leaves may have blocked it?