King's Statue, Esplanade, Weymouth, Dorset
This monument to George III was put up in 1809/10, to the designs of James Hamilton, architect. The figures and detail are said to be the work of Mr Sealy, of the firm of Coade and Sealy. The King, in Garter robes, holds the sceptre in his right hand, and is backed by various insignia, including, to his right, the crown on a cushion, Royal standard and Union flag. The inscription reads 'The grateful Inhabitants/ To GEORGE THE THIRD/ On his entering the 50th Year/ Of His REIGN. This memorial has a commanding location, but is also now (2010) part of a traffic island. The statue is not admired by everyone and was described as '.... that hideous monstrosity known as the King's Statue' in a local newspaper of 1886.
