Duke of York Column

The Duke of York Column seen from The Mall.

Duke Of York Monument from The Mall

The Duke of York Column is a monument in London, England, to Prince Frederick, Duke of York, the second eldest son of King George III. The designer was Benjamin Dean Wyatt. It is located near where Regent Street meets The Mall at Waterloo Place, in between the two terraces of Carlton House Terrace—the steps down to the Mall are known as the Duke of York Steps. The column was chiseled from pink granite, and the bronze statue, 14 feet high, created by Sir Richard Westmacott in 1834. The statue is facing southeast, towards the The Mall and St. James's Park.

Prince Frederick, Duke of York was the commander-in-chief of the British Army during the French Revolutionary Wars and led the reform of the army into a capable modernised force. The Duke is remembered in the children's nursery rhyme, "The Grand Old Duke of York". When he died in 1827, the entire British Army voted to forgo one day's wages in order to pay for a monument to the Duke. The column was started in 1833 and finished one year later. Inside the hollow column a spiral staircase leads to the viewing platform around the base of the statue. This means of ascent has been closed to the public for many decades.

The great height of the column - 123 feet 6 inches (37.64 m) - caused wits to suggest that the Duke was trying to escape his creditors, as the Duke died £2 million in debt.

External links

• Duke of York's Column (Victorian London)

Coordinates: 51°30′22.8″N 0°7′54.5″W / 51.506333°N 0.131806°W / 51.506333; -0.131806