Monument to Queen Victoria

This beautiful Fine Arts monument you see in the center of the square is dedicated to Queen Victoria, one of Britain’s most iconic monarchs. Her reign of 63 years and 7 months is the second longest in the history of the United Kingdom after Elizabeth II’s. For context, Victoria is Elizabeth’s paternal great-great-grandmother. Her reign, known as the Victorian era, saw profound social, economic, and technological changes. It was a period marked by industrial and scientific progress as well as the advent of the railways. In a nutshell, during the Victorian era the British Empire prospered and expanded significantly. Naturally, her commemorative monument is grandiose. It is made up of 26 bronze figures, including a statue of Queen Victoria standing over 4 metres high in the centre. Take the time to appreciate its detail, as this is one of the most ambitious monuments dedicated to this iconic queen. Another interesting fact about this monument is that it stands on the site of the former Liverpool Castle! ! It is widely considered to be the city’s first major building. Liverpool was founded on 28 August 1207, when King John II, known as John the Landless, drew up a royal charter giving the small village of Liverpool the status of a free city. He divided the city into boroughs and authorized the construction of a port. The port opened the way for trade with Ireland and Scotland. The castle was built in the 1230s to serve as a fortress and a base for English troops heading to Ireland. Although the place has been considerably transformed, it’s still fascinating to try to step back in time and imagine everything that happened here before the present day. With that, let’s continue our tour.