Statue of William III, Kensington Palace

Statue of William III
The statue in 2011
Map
51°30.28′N 0°11.244′W / 51.50467°N 0.187400°W / 51.50467; -0.187400
LocationKensington Palace, London, United Kingdom
DesignerHeinrich Baucke [de] (statue)
Aston Webb (pedestal)
TypeStatue
MaterialBronze
Dedicated date1907
Dedicated toWilliam III of England

A bronze statue of William III of England stands on the south side of Kensington Palace in London, facing towards the Golden Gates. The statue was designed by Heinrich Baucke [de] and erected in 1907. It was cast by the Gladenbeck foundry in Berlin and given as a gift by the German Emperor Wilhelm II to his uncle, King Edward VII.[1] The statue has been a Grade II listed building since 1969.[2]

The statue was created as one of five large statues of the Princes of Orange – the Oranierfürsten  [de] – commissioned by Wilhelm II and erected in 1907 on the balustrade of the terrace on the north side of the Berliner Schloss, beside the Lustgarten in Berlin. The statues were intended to illustrate the close relationship between the Dutch House of Orange and the German House of Hohenzollern, and they echo similar statues by François Dieussart erected by Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg, in the pleasure garden of the City Palace, Potsdam. Copies of each statue were also commissioned and presented as gifts: the originals were damaged in the Second World War and four were destroyed. (The statue of Maurice of Orange by Martin Wolff survived, and was displayed beside Humboldt Box.) Most of the copies have survived, including the statue in London.

The bronze statue is 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) high, with the subject depicted at larger than life size. He wears 17th-century military dress, including an ornate feathered hat, sword and cuirass, and high leather boots. The figure stands on a 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) Portland stone pedestal which was designed by Aston Webb, who would later create the Victoria Memorial in London.[3]

The front of the pedestal bears the inscription:[3]

William III / of Orange / King of Great Britain / and Ireland / 1689–1702 / Presented by William II / German Emperor and / King of Prussia / to King Edward VII / for the British Nation / 1907

A popular story states that the design of the character Captain Hook was inspired by the statue.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Matthews, Peter (2012). London's Statues and Monuments. Shire Publications. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-7478-1121-3 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1267050)". National Heritage List for England.
  3. ^ a b "King William III statue". The Royal Parks. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.