On the west side of Parliament Hill stands a monument honoring Queen Victoria, who reigned the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland for 63 years (1837-1901).
The monument was created by sculptor Louis-Philippe Hébert and was dedicated on September 21st, 1901, by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York (the future King George V and Queen Mary). Canadian soldiers who served in the Boer War in South Africa received medals at the unveiling ceremony.
In the monument, Queen Victoria is standing on a granite pedestal wearing her royal attire, gazing at the city. Two bronze figures stand below her; one is of a lion, a symbol of strength, who guards the country, the flag, and national honor. The other is of a young woman who represents Canada; she wears simple clothing, a mural crown on her head, and a Gorget of armor around her neck. She looks upward toward the queen while handing her a laurel wreath.
Born Alexandrina Victoria, Queen Victoria (1819-1901) was the daughter of Prince Edward, the fourth son of King George III. In 1837, at 18, she inherited her uncle, King William IV, and ascended the throne, becoming the queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. At 21, she married her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and later their nine children married into many royal families across Europe, for which she gained the title of the grandmother of Europe. Throughout her reign, Queen Victoria supported the development of the Dominion of Canada, and in 1857, when it was time to select the capital of the province, it was her that chose Ottawa over other cities, including Montreal, Toronto, Quebec, and Kingston.
Also on Parliament Hill is the monument Women Are Persons, which honors the Famous Five: Louise McKinney, Irene Parlby, Emily Murphy, Henrietta Muir Edwards, and Nellie McClung. The group fought to enable Canadian women to get elected to the senate. They petitioned to change the legal term of ‘persons’ in Canada, since until October 18th, 1929, it had not considered women as such. Their fight granted women eligibility to run for the Canadian Senate.
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