This 1919 bronze equestrian statue of Britain's King Edward VII depicts him as an older man.... probably around age 60- the age that Edwardbecame King.
He is in boots and jacket and carries a longsword at his left side. He looks to the right as if, perhaps, reviewing troops. The horse would appear to be walking forward slowly. The artist is Thomas Brock. It is admirable that India gifted this statue...after gaining its independence from Britain.
A plaque at the site reads:
"EQUESTRIAN STATUE OF KING EDWARD VII
Originally standing in Edward Park, Delhi, India, this statue was erected on the present site through the generous subscriptions of the citizens of this area.
This gift to the City of Toronto was made possible by the Government of India and the former High Commisioner ot India, His Excellency The Right Honourable Roland Michener, C.C., C.D., Governor General of Canada, and brought to this City through the personal generosity of Henry R. Jackman, Esq., Q.C.
May 24, 1969
William Dennison
Mayor"
The original plaque, also at the site, reads:
"THIS TABLET
WAS PLACED IN POSITION BY
HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V
EMPEROR OF INDIA
ON THE OCCASION OF HIS VISIT TO DELHI
FOR THE CORONATION DURBAR
15TH DECEMBER 1911"
Wikipedia (
visit link) has a photo of the statue on its page for the Park. The Wikipedia page for Edward (
visit link) further informs us:
"Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. He was the first British monarch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, which was renamed the House of Windsor by his son, George V.
Before his accession to the throne, he served as heir apparent and held the title of Prince of Wales for longer than any of his predecessors. During the long reign of his mother, Queen Victoria, he was largely excluded from political power and came to personify the fashionable, leisured elite.
The Edwardian era, which covered Edward's reign and was named after him, coincided with the start of a new century and heralded significant changes in technology and society, including powered flight and the rise of socialism. Edward played a role in the modernisation of the British Home Fleet, the reform of the Army Medical Services,[1] and the reorganisation of the British Army after the Second Boer War. Edward fostered good relations between Great Britain and other European countries, especially France, for which he was popularly called "Peacemaker", but his efforts were unable to prevent the outbreak of World War I in 1914."