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Led by Rosemary Ussher, a group of Windsor residents raised £200,000 to fund the construction and installation a statue of a pair of Her Majesty’s Windsor Grey horses on the roundabout. “The Jubilee fountain in the Goswells looks fantastic and when the Windsor Greys is complete it will be wonderful to have two tributes to The Queen both ends of town,” Mrs Ussher commented to The Royal Borough Observer.
Althea Wynne, the initial sculptor, died in a car crash with husband in January 2012. Robert Rattray, a professional sculptor from South Wales, was selected by Mrs Ussher and the group to complete the project.
“This enterprise aims to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation with a life size sculpture of two of the lead carriage horses used in state occasions, known as the Windsor Greys. These magnificent beasts are often seen around Windsor on state occasions or while exercising, so their sculptural homage will be installed close to the stables of its subjects, on a local roundabout, at the Albert and Kings Road junction adjacent to the Long Walk, in Windsor, England,” Sculptor, Robert Rattray speaking the online site theartcollector.org.
The Windsor Greys are trained at the Royal Mews along with the Cleveland Bays who are responsible for pulling the royal carriages. Presently, there are ten Windsor Greys housed at the Royal Mews. Taken from the Victorian era when the horses were housed at Windsor, the Windsor Greys are responsible for pulling The Queen’s carriage on state occasions and at Royal Ascot. The horses may also seem familiar as the pulled the 1902 State Landau coach for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding.
Prince William has been patron of the Windsor Grey Jubilee Appeal, since July 2012.
photo credit: Defence Images via photopin cc]]>
