Statue of Charles de Gaulle, London

A bronze statue of Charles de Gaulle stands in Carlton Gardens in the City of Westminster, London. Charles de Gaulle, the leader of Free France, set up his government in exile at No. 4 Carlton Gardens.[1]

Statue of Charles de Gaulle
ArtistAngela Conner
Year1993
LocationCarlton Gardens, London

The statue was campaigned for by Mary Soames, the daughter of De Gaulle's contemporary Winston Churchill.[2] It was unveiled by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother on 23 June 1993 in the presence of Jacques Chirac, at that time Mayor of Paris, and the President of the National Assembly Philippe Séguin,[1] as well as De Gaulle's chauffeur-translator Olivia Jordan.[3] The architect was Bernard Wiehahn and the sculptor Angela Conner.[4] De Gaulle is portrayed in the uniform of a brigadier-general.[5] The statue is one of 39 in London maintained by English Heritage, the majority of which are in Westminster.[6]

The French Embassy commemorates De Gaulle at the statue annually.[2] The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, laid a wreath on his visit to London on 18 June 2020, the 80th anniversary of De Gaulle's resistance speech.[7]

The enthusiastic fundraising for the statue by the British public led to calls for a statue of Churchill to be placed in the French capital, which was unveiled in 1998.[8][9]

References
  1. "Les riches heures londoniennes du général de Gaulle La reine-mère Elizabeth inaugure mercredi 23 juin une statue du chef de la France libre érigée à Carlton Gardens, qui fut pendant quatre ans son quartier général" [General de Gaulle's rich time in London Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother will on Wednesday 23 June inaugurate a statue of the Free French leader erected at Carlton Gardens, which was for four years his headquarters]. Le Monde (in French). 24 June 1993. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  2. "10 London memorials to foreign leaders…4. Charles de Gaulle…". Exploring London. 28 July 2021. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  3. Dunlop, Tessa (8 September 2021). "Olivia Jordan obituary". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2 February 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  4. "Statue: de Gaulle statue". London Remembers. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  5. Medwell, Howard (15 March 2021). "The Long Footsteps Of Charles De Gaulle In London". Guide London. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  6. "London statues gallery". English Heritage. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  7. Marlowe, Lara (18 June 2020). "Macron indulges in self-flattery with homage to Charles de Gaulle". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  8. "French finally plan statue of Churchill". Tampa Bay Times. 1 January 1998. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  9. "Churchill returns to Paris". BBC News. 11 November 1998. Retrieved 23 March 2022.

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