Charles I Equestrian at Trafalgar Square, London

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The equestrian statue of Charles I in Charing Cross, London, is a work by the French sculptorHubert Le Sueur, probably cast in 1633. Its location at Charing Cross is on the former site of the most elaborate of the Eleanor crosses erected byEdward I, which had stood for three and a half centuries until 1647. It also marks the officialcentre of London, and the point to and from which many distances to and from London are measured. The statue faces down Whitehall towards Charles I's place of execution at Banqueting House. The first Renaissance-style equestrian statue in England, it was commissioned by Charles's Lord High Treasurer Richard Weston for the garden of his country house in Roehampton, Surrey (now in South London). Following the English Civil War the statue was sold to a metalsmith to be broken down, but he hid it until the Restoration. It was installed in its current, far more prominent location in the centre of London in 1675, and the elaborately carved plinth dates from that time. The statue shows Charles I of England on horseback, with the king wearing a demi-suit of armour but without a helmet. Across the chest is a scarf tied into a bow on the right shoulder. The king is holding a baton in his right hand, and the reins of the horse in his left. This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.