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The king is shown in half-armour. This highly influential equestrian statue, the first of its kind in England, was originally commissioned in 1630 by Charles I's Lord Treasurer Sir Richard Weston for his house Mortlake Park, Roehampton. The statue was originally cast in 1633 by Hubert Le Sueur, with the carved pedestal by Joshua Marshall added when the statue was erected in its current position on the site of an Eleanor Cross in 1674–1675. Charles is represented riding bareheaded and wearing armour. His left hand holds the reins, his right rests on a baton, supported on the pommel of his saddle. Suspended on the king’s chest is the order of St George. The pedestal is tall and narrow, basically rectangular in plan, but with convexly curved panels breaking forward at front and back.
Title
Charles I (1600–1649)
Date
1630–1633 & 1674–1675
Medium
bronze
Measurements
H 280 x W 236 x D (?) cm;
Plinth: H 450 x W 300 x D 168 cm
Accession number
WC2N_TJ_S030
Acquisition method
commissioned by Sir Richard Weston, 1630
Work type
Statue
Custodian
English Heritage
Work status
extant
Listing status
Grade I (England and Wales)
Unveiling date
1st August 1904
Listing date
09/01/70
Access
at all times
Signature/marks description
on plate supporting the right front hoof of horse: huber / le sueur / fecit / 1633
Whitehall, Westminster
WC2N 5DU
Stories
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How a statue of Charles I was restored and resurrected in Trafalgar SquareTimothy Revell and HENI Talks
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