Statue of King Carlos III - Los Angeles, CA
N 34° 03.386 W 118° 14.310
11S E 385699 N 3769104
This statue of Spanish King Carlos III was a bicentennial gift to the city of Los Angeles, California, USA, from Spain.
Waymark Code: WMQXZX
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 04/12/2016
Views: 9
This statue of King Carlos III, who ordered the founding of El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles -- which grew into the city of Los Angeles -- was a gift to the American people from Spain in honor of the 200th anniversary of the American Revolution.
The statue stood for nearly 20 years in MacArthur park west of downtown, but was moved to this spot on the "new" plaza across from the El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles Church in 1987.
A bilingual plaque on the base of the statue reads (in English) as follows:
"[Seal of the City of Los Angeles] [Seal of Spain]
KING CARLOS III
1759-1788
King Carlos III of Spain ordered the founding of El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles in 1781. This statue was presented in 1976, in honor of the 200th anniversary of American independence. It was dedicated on the Plaza by the King and Queen of Spain, Don Juan Carlos I and Dona Sofia on September 30, 1987."
From the El Pueblo de los Angeles website: (
visit link)
"Carlos III of Spain
Presented in 1976 in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of American independence, the 10'H, 2.5 ton statue of King Carlos III of Spain stands on the east side of the Plaza. The statue depicts the king who ordered the founding of El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles in 1781 as a 45-year-old commander-in-chief, holding a baton and wearing a suit of armor with an embellished sash. King and Queen of Spain, Don Juan Carlos I and Dona Sofia dedicated the statue in the Plaza on September 30, 1987."