Ode to a King's Statue: Face Thy Execution!

Yes, I'm talking about King Charles I.

Yes, I'm talking about the equestrian statue on the location which previously housed the Charing Cross. (I'll talk about the Eleanor crosses in another post, so stay tuned!)

The statue was sculpted by French sculptor Hubert Le Sueur in 1633, the year inscribed on the horse's left foot. It was commissioned by Charles' Lord High Treasurer Richard Weston for his garden at his country house in Roehampton, Surrey (now in South London - Putney Park).

Here is the memorandum with instruction to prepare the draft agreement between Sueur and Weston: 

"For the Scrivener

"To prepare a drauft for the right Honnorable Lord Wesson Lord Hey Tresorier of England, of an agreement made with one Hubert le Sueur for the casting of a Horsse in Brasse bigger then a greate Horsse by a foot, and the figure of his Maj King Charles proportionable full six foot, Which the afore saide Hubert le sueur is to performe with all the skill and Workmanship as leith in his powoer, and not onley shall be obliged to inploy at the saide Worcke such worckmen onder his direction as shall be skilfull able and caerfull for all the parts of the Worke but also to cast the saide Worke of the best Yealowie and red copper, and caerfully prouide for the strengtning and fearme uphouldinge of the same one the Pedestall were itt is to stand one, at Rohamton in the righ honor the Lord hey Tresorier his Garden.

"The saide Sueur is also to make a perfect Modell of the saide worke, of the same bignes as the Copper shall be, in the making werof he shall take the aduice of his Maj. Ridders of greate Horsses, as well for the shaep of the Horsse and action as for the graesfull shaepe and action of his Maj. figure one the same, Which beeinge Performed, with the aprobation of his Maj. and content of his Lordship the aforesaide le Sueur is to have for the intyer worcke and full finishing of the same in Copper and setting in the place where itt is to stand, The somme of six hundred pounds, to be paied to him in manner followinge.

"Fifty pounds att the insealing of the Contractt. Three Moneths after (by which tyme the Modell is to be finished and approved by his Maj. and his Lordship) hundred pound more. When the Worcke shall be readdy to be cast in copper, is to receave two hundred pound more.

"When itt appeered to be perfectly cast, then is to receave hundred and fifty pound more. And when the worcke is fully and perfectly finisshed and sett at Rohampton, the last remaining hundred pound.

"Which Worcke the saide Sueur ondertaketh to performe in acktien moneth, the tyme beginning the day the couenant shall be dated."

Source: https://www.british-history.ac.uk

After the Civil War the statue was sold to John Rivet, a metalsmith, to be broken up for scrap metal. Rivet sold pieces of scrap metal, and made trinkets and such out of other metal, claiming falsely that it was the metal from the statue while hiding the statue away.

After the Restoration, the statue was found by the 2nd Earl of Portland and complaint was made to the House of Lords. It stated, "That the said John Rivet shall permit and suffer the Sheriff of London to serve a replevin (recovery) upon the said statue and horse of brass that are now in his custody."

The King purchased the statue in 1675 and installed it on it's current location.

The statue now faces down Whitehall towards the location Charles was executed.

In case you didn't know:

-during WWII, the statue was removed by the Ministry of Works and stored at Mentmore Park, Leighton Buzzard.

-In 1977, the plinth was cleaned for the first time in three centuries!

Here is the earliest photo of the statue (1835) via the Daily Mail.