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Description: | After the death of Prince Albert in 1861 the people of Wolverhampton along with Alderman George Lees Underhill, raised funds to erect a statue in his memory. Sculptor Thomas Thorneycroft finished the memorial in 1866 which Queen Victoria herself unveiled during a public ceremony attended by crowds from all over the Midlands.
At the pavilion Queen Victoria was so impressed with he reception that she had been given that she knighted Mayor John Morris with a sword borrowed from Lord Alfred Paget.
"The action was observed by the spectators, who, as well as the Mayor himself, seemed to be taken entirely by surprise; but the moment the intention of Her Majesty became apparent, a cheer rang through the pavilion which was fairly deafening, and was heartily echoed by the crowd outside, attesting the gratification felt at the honour thus conferred on the town and its Chief Magistrate. The dignity and grace with which the Mayor received the honour thus worthily conferred, was the subject of general remark."
Text from the book ‘The Royal Visit to Wolverhampton’ | License: | http://www.bl.uk/services/copy/permission.html | Publisher: | Edward Roden | Rights holder: | British Library | Source: | Collect Britain | Creator: | Thrupp, Robert W | Identifier: | http://www.collectbritain.co.uk/personal... | Language: | en-GB | Go to resource |
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