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Alfred the Great Statue, London
This statue of Alfred is located in Southwark, Central London. Its lower half was initially used in the 2nd century for a statue of the Roman goddess Minerva. However, in 1824, its top half was remodelled with coade stone by sculptor James George Bubb for a new statue depicting Alfred, although its Roman origins allow it to claim to be the oldest statue in London. Alfred is shown in a long robe, cloaked, crowned and bearded. His appearance is that of an older man, with a long beard and no weapon, he appears more like a philosopher than a warrior.
Alfred’s importance to London dates to 886, when he captured the city from the Vikings and rebuilt its defences. As London traditionally belonged to the Kingdom of Mercia (the Midlands), he gifted the town to his vassal and son-in-law, Aethelred, Lord of the Mercians, to strengthen the bond between Mercia and Wessex.
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Based on Wikipedia content that has been reviewed, edited, and republished.
Original image by Svitapeneela. Uploaded by Michael McComb, published on 26 June 2025. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Public Domain. This item is in the public domain, and can be used, copied, and modified without any restrictions. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.
