Statue of James II
The Statue of James II stands in the eastern section of Trafalgar Square, positioned just outside the National Portrait Gallery and the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, making it one of London's quieter and less-celebrated royal monuments despite occupying one of the city's most visited spaces. The statue depicts James II — who reigned as King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1685 until he was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688 — in the guise of a Roman emperor, draped in classical armour and a flowing cloak, his right hand extended in an imperial gesture. It is a remarkably fine piece of Baroque sculpture that tends to be overlooked by the millions of tourists who pass through Trafalgar Square each year, their attention drawn instead to Nelson's Column and the famous lion statues at its base.
The statue was created by the celebrated Flemish-born sculptor Grinling Gibbons, renowned primarily for his exquisite wood carvings, many of which can be found in the choir stalls of St Paul's Cathedral and in various country houses across England. Cast in lead and originally gilded, it was commissioned during James's reign, most likely around 1686, making it one of the few equestrian-free royal statues of the period to survive largely intact. The work is often attributed jointly to Gibbons and the foundry of Laurens Vandermeulen, though the artistic vision is considered predominantly Gibbons's. After James was ousted in the Glorious Revolution, when William III of Orange took the throne, the statue might easily have been destroyed or melted down — the fate of many monuments to deposed monarchs — but it survived, passing through various locations before arriving at its present site.
The statue's survival over more than three centuries is itself a minor historical miracle. It was originally erected in the Privy Garden at Whitehall Palace, where James could survey his royal domain. After the catastrophic fire at Whitehall in 1698, which destroyed most of the palace, the statue was relocated several times before finding its current home. It spent time at various London locations, including the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, before being installed in its present position. The lead casting has weathered beautifully, acquiring a distinctive grey-green patina over the centuries, and the sculpture retains considerable detail in the facial features, the armour's ornamentation, and the flowing drapery — a testament to the skill of its makers and the relative durability of cast lead as a medium.
Standing before it in person, the statue is smaller than one might expect for a monument to a king, though its classical styling gives it considerable dignity and presence. The facial features of James are rendered with a degree of portraiture that suggests the sculptor worked from life or at least from contemporary likenesses. Around its base, the inscription identifies the subject, though many visitors walk past without pausing to read it. The ambient noise of Trafalgar Square — traffic, pigeons, the distant sound of buskers and tour guides — forms a constant backdrop, but the statue itself occupies a slightly calmer pocket of the square, and on quieter mornings, before the crowds arrive in full force, it can be appreciated in something approaching contemplative peace.
The surrounding area is extraordinarily rich in cultural and historical significance. Trafalgar Square itself was developed in the early nineteenth century and takes its name from the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The National Gallery, with its world-class collection of Western European paintings, dominates the northern side of the square. St Martin-in-the-Fields, the famous church with its distinctive Baroque steeple, is just steps away and offers lunchtime concerts throughout the year. Charing Cross station, one of London's central rail termini, is a short walk to the south. The National Portrait Gallery, after a major renovation, is also nearby. This small statue of a fallen king thus sits at the very heart of one of the most historically and culturally layered spaces in the English-speaking world.
Getting to the statue is straightforward. The nearest Underground stations are Charing Cross (served by the Bakerloo and Northern lines, with National Rail services also available), Embankment (Circle and District lines), and Leicester Square (Northern and Piccadilly lines), each within a few minutes' walk. Numerous bus routes pass through or near Trafalgar Square, and the area is easily accessible on foot from much of central London. There is no admission charge — the statue stands in open public space and can be visited at any hour, day or night. The square is well lit after dark, and the statue, being outdoors and permanently accessible, imposes no opening hours or seasonal restrictions.
The most fascinating aspect of this monument may be what it represents historically: a tangible relic of a deeply contested moment in British history. James II was the last Roman Catholic monarch to reign over Britain, and his deposition in favour of his Protestant daughter Mary and her Dutch husband William of Orange was a pivotal constitutional turning point, establishing parliamentary supremacy over the crown in ways that endure to this day. That his statue survives and stands — unremarkably, almost anonymously — in the heart of London speaks to the strange accommodations history makes over time. What was once politically explosive has become an overlooked curiosity, a Roman emperor in lead staring out over one of the world's most famous public squares, quietly waiting for the visitor curious enough to stop and look.