Visitors to downtown New Orleans may wonder why a bronze Winston Churchill waves from a prominent perch near the Mississippi River.
One reader’s question: “What’s the history of the Winston Churchill statue in New Orleans?” The answer seems to be thanks to one hotelier.
The Churchill statue joined the New Orleans scene in November 1977, unveiled in a public ceremony by Churchill’s daughter, Lady Mary Soames, and situated between the Hilton New Orleans Riverside and the World Trade Center of New Orleans.
The Winston Churchill statue on British Plaza by the Hilton New Orleans Riverside hotel.
Photo by Kandace Power Graves
The statue sits outside the hotel in the middle of a traffic circle at the end of Poydras Street, now known as the British Plaza, near one of the main entrances to the aquarium, River Walk and Spanish Plaza.
The connection between the British wartime prime minister and a Crescent City hotel is best understood through hotel leadership.
International Rivercenter, the company that built the Hilton, donated the plaza and statue to the city, thanks to co-managing partner James Coleman Jr., who served as an honorary consul for the British government.
Coleman championed British culture in the city throughout his life, fielding ventures such as the Windsor Court Hotel, a hotel meant to bring British style to the bayou.
He eventually received the Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire recognition from Queen Elizabeth II, as well as the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire recognition, both prestigious designations that recognize significant contributions.
The statue of Winston Churchill doesn't appear pleased with the German-built Merkur XR4Ti parked at the foot of Poydras Street on Feb. 28, 1985. With Mercedes-Benz and BMW gaining American market share, Ford fought back with the imported Merkur. From left: Heinz Cappellmann, German vice consul in New Orleans; Robert Marak, deputy director of economic development for the city; and Mark Hutchins, marketing plans manager of Lincoln-Mercury division of Ford Motor Co. (Photo by G.E. Arnold)
The Churchill statue was designed and cast by British artist Ivor Robert-Jones, who is well-known for his Churchill statue across from the Houses of Parliament in London.
In 1977, Coleman officiated the unveiling of New Orleans' Churchill statue, gathering together a group of British and New Orleans leaders and businessmen. For the ceremony, Lady Soames, accompanied by her daughter and son-in-law, Mrs. and Mr. Richard Hambro, traveled from Great Britain.
It was Soames’ first visit to the city, and she was greeted by a whirlwind of parties and receptions in her honor, along with opportunities for sightseeing and fine dining. Among the highlights of her visit, she was reportedly struck by the Superdome.
“It’s a wonderful stadium,” Soames said in a chronicled account of her visit in The Times-Picayune. “It’s amazing and beautiful.”
This unusual, vivid photo of Sir Winston Churchill was taken on the Riviera, where he once vacationed. The arm at the right is that of an attendant who is adjusting a blanket around him. Sir Winston had just arrived in Nice from London and was about to be driven to Monte Carlo.
The ceremony was packed with notables, among them U.S. Rep. Lindy Boggs, Lt. Gov. James Fitzmorris Jr., Mayor Moon Landrieu and Episcopal Bishop of Louisiana James B. Brown. The U.S. Navy’s Eighth Naval District Band and the bagpipe group Pipes and Drums of New Orleans played. A recording of Winston Churchill's speeches was broadcast to an audience outside the hotel.
The local newspaper chronicled Soames’ cherry red suit, muted print scarf and triple-strand of pearls, in which she spoke of the two countries’ “passionate love of freedom.”
“She put on her horn-rimmed glasses to read her speech about how proud she was that her father was chosen to be a symbol of the bond between our two countries," read the Times-Picayune account of events.
“Hail Britannia” played as she pulled off the statue’s wrappings, and there Churchill has been ever since, facing the Superdome. He is portrayed wearing his naval cap and overcoat, flashing the victory salute as he leans on his cane.