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London Quiz - London’s Monuments (Questions)

London might possibly be home to more monuments than any other city. Westminster Abbey alone contains more than 3,000 burials and memorials. The capital’s monuments are not only of the great and the good - they also frequently represent less prominent or long forgotten members of society. From the ancient to the planned-but-not-yet built, every Londoner has their favourite monument. Which is yours?

1. There is a statue of whom in front of the west, main entrance of St Paul’s Cathedral?
[ ] Charles II
[ ] Sir Christopher Wren
[ ] Queen Anne
[ ] Pope Clement XI
2. Where can you find George Watt’s “Memorial to Heroic Self Sacrifice”?
[ ] Postman’s Park
[ ] Puddle Dock
[ ] Execution Dock
[ ] Green Park
3. Which of the following is NOT commonly said to be true of Nelson’s column?
[ ] Hitler planned to transport the column to erect in Berlin as a sign of his victory
[ ] The Tsar of Russia funded the total cost of the column
[ ] A group of workmen ate a meal on top of the column upon its completion, before the figure of Nelson was added
[ ] The reliefs on the plinth are made of bronze from captured French cannons
4. Which monument is said to stand at the geographical heart of London, from which all measurements from London are taken?
[ ] Cleopatra’s Needle
[ ] The Monument
[ ] The statue of King Charles I between Whitehall and Trafalgar Square
[ ] The statue of Churchill in Parliament Square
5. King’s Cross takes its name from a giant pedestal and sculpture that once stood in the area. Which unpopular king did it represent?
[ ] George IV
[ ] King John
[ ] Richard III
[ ] King Stephen
6. An equestrian statue of the Duke of Cumberland was installed in Cavendish Square during the London Olympics. What unlikely material was it made of?
[ ] Feathers
[ ] Metal rings
[ ] Bubble wrap
[ ] Soap
7. A sculpture on Fetter Lane is said to be the only cross-eyed statue in London. Who is it of?
[ ] Lord Byron
[ ] John Wilkes
[ ] Samuel Johnson
[ ] Dick Whittington
8. A statue of Lawrence Olivier gazes imperiously towards the National Theatre on the Southbank. What object is he holding?
[ ] A sword
[ ] A skull
[ ] A book
[ ] A mask
9. Whose statue, erected in 1822, was the first nude sculpture in London since Roman times, causing much anguish to Londoners of a delicate nature?
[ ] Eros
[ ] Claudius
[ ] David
[ ] Achilles
10. There is a statue of which American president in Parliament Square?
[ ] George Washington
[ ] Abraham Lincoln
[ ] J F Kennedy
[ ] Thomas Jefferson

 

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London Quiz - London’s Monuments (Answers)
1. There is a statue of whom in front of the west, main entrance of St Paul’s Cathedral?
[ ] Charles II
[ ] Sir Christopher Wren
[x] Queen Anne
[ ] Pope Clement XI
The Queen is shown standing on a plinth wearing the Order of St George and holding and orb and sceptre. She is surrounded by allegorical figures representing the countries of which she was considered to be sovereign - Britain, Ireland, America and France
2. Where can you find George Watt’s “Memorial to Heroic Self Sacrifice”?
[x] Postman’s Park
[ ] Puddle Dock
[ ] Execution Dock
[ ] Green Park
The Watt’s Memorial is a poignant reminder of the harsh conditions of everyday life for the Victorian poor. It is a loggia consisting of over 50 ceramic plaques, each dedicated to someone who gave their lives attempting to save others
3. Which of the following is NOT commonly said to be true of Nelson’s column?
[ ] Hitler planned to transport the column to erect in Berlin as a sign of his victory
[x] The Tsar of Russia funded the total cost of the column
[ ] A group of workmen ate a meal on top of the column upon its completion, before the figure of Nelson was added
[ ] The reliefs on the plinth are made of bronze from captured French cannons
The Tsar of Russia was the largest financial contributor but not the only one
4. Which monument is said to stand at the geographical heart of London, from which all measurements from London are taken?
[ ] Cleopatra’s Needle
[ ] The Monument
[x] The statue of King Charles I between Whitehall and Trafalgar Square
[ ] The statue of Churchill in Parliament Square
In 1977, the plinth was cleaned for the first time in three centuries!
5. King’s Cross takes its name from a giant pedestal and sculpture that once stood in the area. Which unpopular king did it represent?
[x] George IV
[ ] King John
[ ] Richard III
[ ] King Stephen
The King of King's Cross is George IV, who reigned from 1820 to 1830. Before his reign began he was Regent, during the mental illness of George III, his father
6. An equestrian statue of the Duke of Cumberland was installed in Cavendish Square during the London Olympics. What unlikely material was it made of?
[ ] Feathers
[ ] Metal rings
[ ] Bubble wrap
[x] Soap
The third son of George II enjoyed a brief spell of popularity following the Battle of Culloden, but became something of a hate figure for his part in persecuting the Scottish Highlanders
7. A sculpture on Fetter Lane is said to be the only cross-eyed statue in London. Who is it of?
[ ] Lord Byron
[x] John Wilkes
[ ] Samuel Johnson
[ ] Dick Whittington
John Wilkes was an outspoken 18th-century journalist and popular London politician. He came to be regarded as a victim of persecution and as a champion of liberty because he was repeatedly expelled from Parliament
8. A statue of Lawrence Olivier gazes imperiously towards the National Theatre on the Southbank. What object is he holding?
[x] A sword
[ ] A skull
[ ] A book
[ ] A mask
The statue, by sculptor Angela Connor, was unveiled in 2007 on what would have been his 100th birthday
9. Whose statue, erected in 1822, was the first nude sculpture in London since Roman times, causing much anguish to Londoners of a delicate nature?
[ ] Eros
[ ] Claudius
[ ] David
[x] Achilles
Achilles was the Greek hero of the Trojan War and this statue of him commemorates the soldier and politician, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. Not long after its installation a small fig leaf was added
10. There is a statue of which American president in Parliament Square?
[ ] George Washington
[x] Abraham Lincoln
[ ] J F Kennedy
[ ] Thomas Jefferson
The statue is a copy of the sculpture by Augustus Saint-Gaudens in Lincoln Park, Chicago. It was unveiled in 1920 and was installed to commemorate 100 years of peace between Britain and the USA after the end of the War of 1812