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Secondary sourceSculpture1901 (design); unveiled 16 May 1911

Victoria Memorial

Thomas Brock · 1901 (design); unveiled 16 May 1911

A large monument to Queen Victoria at the end of The Mall in London, made by the sculptor Sir Thomas Brock. It was designed in 1901 and stands in front of Buckingham Palace.

A monument made after her death that honours Victoria as the centre of an imperial city plan.

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Low-angle view of the white marble Victoria Memorial in London, with a seated statue of Queen Victoria at its center, flanked by allegorical figures and topped by a gilded winged figure under a cloudy sky. The base reads 'VICTORIA' and 'REGINA IMPERATRIX'.
Thomas Brock, Victoria Memorial, designed 1901, unveiled 1911. London.

About this source

What it is

The Victoria Memorial is a monument to Queen Victoria at the end of The Mall in London, made by the sculptor Sir Thomas Brock. Its design dates from 1901, the year of her death. It was unveiled on 16 May 1911 by King George V, but it was not completed until 1924. It stands in front of Buckingham Palace and is listed at Grade I.

Why it matters

The memorial was the centrepiece of a larger urban plan. This plan included the Queen's Gardens, designed by Sir Aston Webb, and the refacing of Buckingham Palace by the same architect. Money for it came from across the British Empire, including a contribution from the Australian House of Representatives and a cheque from the New Zealand Government. Its many statues show how the Edwardians presented Victoria as the mother of the Empire. At the unveiling, Lord Esher addressed the crowd, and Winston Churchill, as Home Secretary, carried the text of the speeches.

Look closer

  • Why do you think the memorial places allegorical figures around a seated queen?
  • Who paid for the memorial, and whose voices are missing from the story of its funding?
  • How does a monument built soon after a ruler's death shape the way later people remember her?

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The Royal Family in 1846

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