A rather grand bronze statue can be found stranded and surrounded by modern buildings in Whitechapel.
Erected in 1908, this is Queen Alexandra who was closely associated with the Royal London Hospital, and the statue used to stand in a small courtyard, but when the hospital was turned into the massive grey building it is today, the statue moved.
It’s now in a less appealing location, but is however considerably more public to see, which is a good thing. She sadly doesn’t have much to look at though.
Queen Alexandra, of Denmak, was the wife of Edward VII, who famously had to delay his coronation due to appendicitis and was brought to the London Hospital for treatment.
She became closely associated with the hospital, and according to the plaque on the statue — “always took a personal & sympathetic interest in its work and who in 1900 introduced to England the Finsen light cure for lupus and presented the first lamp to this hospital.”
She was very popular when alive, and a lot of streets were named in her honour, and a park in North London which was to become rather famous for its building – Alexandra Palace.
She died on 20 November 1925.
The hospital named a wing after her: the Alexandra Wing. It is now the dental hospital.