King's Statue

Weymouth was much enjoyed by the King George III who would often take holidays there – a total of fourteen separate occasions, the first in 1789. With his patronage of the town, the king changed the fortune of Weymouth, and a lot of the buildings along the seafront are mostly of Georgian architecture during the king's reign. George III was originally advised to travel to Weymouth to consolidate his recovery from his first bout of serious physical and mental illness, sometimes now interpreted as porphyria. The court came with the King, and the national papers reported the event. As a result of the king's interest in the area, it was decided that Weymouth should have a statue in tribute to…

The statue's figures and detail are sculpted in Coade stone, the work of the firm Coade and Sealy, on a massive Portland stone pedestal. The King is dressed in Garter robes and holds a sceptre in his right hand. He is backed by various items, including the crown on a cushion, the Royal standard and Union flag, a pile of books and a large oval shield of arms. One each side is a further low pedestal which sits a lion and a unicorn. The front inscription reads "The grateful Inhabitants, to George the Third on his entering the 50th Year of his Reign." The statue was originally painted bronze and only became multi-coloured as late as 1948. The monument has not always been fully appreciated,…