LONDON STATUES - MILITARY
LONDON STATUES - MILITARY
When I began this series, I decided to exclude military figures as they are numerous and their legacies can be contentious. However, some are simply too significant to be ignored so I've put together this brief selection - far from definitive.
And where better to start than with what is perhaps London's most famous statue? No half measures here - no half-Nelson.
Horatio Nelson (1758-1805)
Britain’s most celebrated naval
commander stands immortalised atop Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square,
commemorating his decisive victory - and death - at the Battle of Trafalgar. A complex hero, he combined tactical brilliance with personal audacity, becoming a symbol of national resilience in the Age of Sail. His body was preserved in a barrel of brandy for the journey home.
Witnesses (especially Thomas Hardy) reported Nelson's last words were "Kiss me, Hardy". This is generally accepted as being true. But there is also a theory - recognising his fate - his words might have been: "Kismet, Hardy."
Trafalgar Square
The photo on the right is taken from the restaurant of the National Portrait Gallery.
Although Lord Horatio Nelson died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, it took a further 32 years to form a committee to decide how to honour him. So work on his column wasn’t started until 1840 and was completed three years later.
The column is over 50 metres tall and Nelson's statue is three-times life size. Given that he had already lost his eye before losing his right arm one might be tempted to think sculptor E H Bailey forgot the distinctive eye patch. But it seems Nelson never wore one. Since his death, many artists (and later filmmakers) have included an eye patch for dramatic effect.
Laurence Olivier, Peter Finch, Royal Doulton Toby Jug
Royal Naval College
National Maritime Museum
National Maritime Museum
The one on the left is actually a life mask of Nelson, made in Vienna in 1800.
Played by:
Laurence Olivier - That Hamilton Woman (1941) with Vivien Leigh as Lady Hamilton.
Peter Finch - Bequest to the Nation (1973, TV drama) with Glenda Jackson as Lady Hamilton.
Lady Hamilton and Horatio Nelson, National Portrait Gallery
Emma Hamilton's life was a whirlwind of romance and drama. Initially the mistress - and later the wife - of Sir William Hamilton, her affair with Lord Nelson cemented her celebrity status. Despite her fame, Emma's life was marred by financial struggles and scandal. After Nelson's death, she fled to Calais to escape debt, and spent her final years in poverty, struggling with ill health and addiction. She died in 1815, largely forgotten by the British society that had once adored her.
Bonus trivia:
Nelson's Column is covered in anti-pigeon gel.
It has been claimed that Adolf Hitler planned to take it back to Germany after WWII.
The wrestling term 'full nelson', a hold using both arms, was probably inspired by Nelson's reputation for firm control. A 'half nelson' which uses just one arm is simply a practical description of the hold rather than any reference to Nelson's missing arm. Shame.
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769-1852)
Wellington is widely regarded as one of Britain’s greatest commanders, best known for his victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. As a military leader, Wellington was defined by his discipline, caution, and exceptional ability to choose strong defensive positions. Unlike more aggressive generals of his era, he preferred to conserve his forces, avoid unnecessary risks, and wear down the enemy. His use of terrain - such as reverse slopes to shield troops from artillery - demonstrated a deep understanding of battlefield tactics and helped him minimize casualties while maintaining effectiveness.
He insisted on strict discipline among his soldiers, particularly in their conduct towards civilians, which contrasted with the behaviour of many armies at the time.
Although he served as Prime Minister, Wellington was certainly more famous as a soldier (and better at it) than as a politician. After his first cabinet meeting, he is said to have observed: "An extraordinary affair. I gave them their orders and they wanted to stay and discuss them."
Hyde Park Corner
This statue of Wellington, astride his favourite horse Copenhagen, faces Aspley House, the Duke's London home, now a museum and art gallery. It replaced the disproportionately large equestrian statue by Matthew Coates that once topped Constitution Arch ......
Constitution Arch commemorates Wellington's victory at Waterloo. After Wellington died, the much-ridiculed statue was moved to Aldershot. It was replaced with the quadriga depicting the angel of peace descending on a chariot of war.
Hyde Park
This statue of Wellington has the body of Achilles. It was originally nude, causing public outrage before a strategic fig leaf was added.
Royal Exchange Wellington Park, Woolwich
In front of the Royal Exchange we again see Wellington on Copenhagen. The Wellington Park statue commemorates his position between 1818 and 1827 as Master General of the Royal Ordinance, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich.
For his second short term in 1834 Wellington arrived at Downing Street on Copenhagen. But his popularity had waned by then and Aspley House was regularly stoned by protestors. He was originally called the Iron Duke because of the iron shutters he had installed on Aspley House and not as a comment on his character.
Wellington Boots were definitely named after the Duke; but not Beef Wellington which existed before he was born. He is thought to be the first to coin the phrase "publish and be damned" when being offered, for a price, the option of blocking the racy memoirs of Harriette Wilson, one of his mistresses.
When Wellington died in 1852, aged 83, he was honoured with a state funeral.
Goya's famous portrait of Wellington (above) can be seen in the National Gallery. It was famously stolen from there in 1961 by bus driver Kempton Bunton. Four years later Bunton returned the painting voluntarily. Following a high-profile trail he was found not guilty of stealing the painting, but guilty of stealing the frame which had not been returned. For the full story watch the movie The Duke (2020) starring Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren. Before the painting was recovered, the theft was also referenced in the 1962 Bond movie, Dr No, when the portrait was seen on display in Julius No's lair. The prop used in this film was later stolen.
Wellington has been portrayed by many actors including:
Christopher Plummer - Waterloo (1970)
Laurence Olivier - Lady Caroline Lamb (1972)
Stephen Fry - Blackadder: Back and Forth (1999)
John Malkovich - Lines of Wellington (2012)
Rupert Everett - Napoleon (2023)
Nelson and Wellington are near-certainties in any “top three" of Britain's most celebrated military heroes, with Drake often completing the set - though many historians would argue that Montgomery has a strong claim to that third spot. The earlier trio perhaps loom larger in the national imagination, their reputations burnished by time, whereas Monty remains within living memory for some - brilliant, but also famously cantankerous.
Francis Drake (1540–1596)
Explorer and privateer, Drake is best remembered as the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe - a journey that took three years. A national hero in England and a pirate to the Spanish, he played a key role in defeating the Spanish Armada and helped establish England as a rising naval power. The story that, as the Armada approached, Drake remarked there was plenty of time to finish his game of bowls is probably apocryphal.
Royal Naval College Deptford Town Hall
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Bernard Montgomery (1887–1976)
Known universally as 'Monty', Field Marshal Montgomery stands on Whitehall, honoured for his leadership in the North African campaign during WWII, particularly at El Alamein. Methodical, cautious, and sometimes controversial, he remains one of Britain’s most recognisable military commanders. He had a famously prickly relationship with American generals.
Whitehall
T. E. Lawrence (1888–1935)
Lawrence was a soldier, writer, and enigmatic figure of the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire. His legend - part truth, part self-crafted myth - captures the romance and ambiguity of Britain’s Middle Eastern campaigns during the First World War. He spoke fluent Arabic and adopted local dress. Lawrence later served in the RAF under an assumed name. His memoir, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, is a classic of war literature.
National Portrait Gallery
Peter O'Toole - Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Herbert Kitchener (1850-1916)
A towering figure of late Victorian and Edwardian Britain, Lord Kitchener built his reputation in Sudan and South Africa before becoming Secretary of State for War in 1914. Kitchener became the face of WWI mobilisation throught the iconic “Your Country Needs You” recruitment drive. Remote, austere and instantly recognisable, he embodied both the confidence and the controversies of the British Empire. Kitchener died in 1916 when HMS Hampshire struck a mine off Orkney; his body was never recovered, adding to his near-mythic status.
Kitchener's macho image belied the fact he was perhaps gay - he never married, enjoyed the company of young men, and collected porcelain.
Horse Guards Road
APPENDIX
Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square
Havelock led British forces during the Indian Rebellion, relieving Lucknow before dying shortly after from illness.
Napier conquered Sindh for the East India Company, reputedly punning “Peccavi” (“I have sinned/Sindh”).
St Clement Danes, Strand St Clement Danes, Strand
Dowding was the architect of Britain’s air defence system, crucial to victory in the Battle of Britain.
Harris directed RAF Bomber Command’s strategic bombing campaign against Germany in WWII.
Hugh Trenchard (1873-1956) Charles George Gordon (1833-1885)
Victoria Embankment Gardens, Ministry of Defence Section
Trenchard was the founding father of the RAF, championing independent air power between the wars. Gordon was killed at Khartoum while defending the city against Mahdist forces, becoming a Victorian martyr figure.
Douglas Haig (1861–1928) Robert Clive (1725–1774)
Whitehall King Charles Street
Clive established British dominance in India after the Battle of Plassey, laying foundations of empire.
And
that’s a very selective tour of London’s military statues - just enough to
acknowledge the unavoidable. The rest remain out there across the capital, for
those inclined to go looking.
good info', as usual, esp re no nelson eyepatch. wellington irish, albeit in british army?
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