Victoria Memorial

The Victoria Memorial is a 1903 memorial to Queen Victoria, designed by Percy Stone. The memorial is primarily constructed of stone with bronze sculptural details, and it rests on a circular stone dais set at a step up from the pavement. The stepped, tripartite base has three concave sides that meet at squared faces, each bearing inscriptions and crests in bronze. These faces point towards the east and west ends of the High Street and south down St James's Square. The plinth follows the same plan with three concave sides meeting at short, squared faces. The south face has Queen Victoria's coat of arms above '1901' in Roman numerals. The east and west faces each have a crest (inscribed with J R) with a crown above and '1901' in Roman numerals beneath. The north face features an inscription in Gothic script reading: TO VICTORIA THE QUEEN/ THIS MEMORIAL WAS RAISED/ BY THE PEOPLE OF THE WIGHT. Unusual stone carvings in relief, in the form of roots, are at the six corners of the base. The top of the plinth features a foliate, ovolo moulding with letters spelling out VICTORIA incorporated into the carving.

Three seated bronze lions are positioned atop the plinth. Centrally between these lions is a hexagonal pedestal supporting a cylindrical stone column. A framework of cast and figurative bronze surrounds this column, comprised of three female figures in medieval dress representing Sympathy, Dignity, and Fortitude (the latter in armour), that hold up the Crown of England encircling the column. Between these figures, rising from stone corbels, are three narrow, fluted bronze columnettes that run the full height of the stone column, terminating in foliate, Art Nouveau capitals with unusual spiral motifs. This capital supports a richly-carved Gothic lantern in stone, surmounted by a Celtic cross.