A beautiful statue sculpted by a daughter of Queen Victoria has been restored and placed back on public display in a church in Kensington .
The Angel by Princess Louise has been repositioned in St Mary Abbots Church so that viewers can now see it in the round and view all of its intricate detail.
The statue was created for the Resurrection Chapel in the church, off Kensington High Street, as a memorial to two of the princess’s brothers, Princes Alfred and Leopold, and had been placed in front of a pillar.
The conservator who worked on repairs to the statue, during the works to the Resurrection Chapel in 2014, said the drapery and back of the wings were fully modelled and detailed, indicating it was intended to be seen in the round and not as originally sited.
The church, which is close to Kensington Palace and used by members of the Royal Family, is currently in the middle of a fundraising appeal to raise £7 million to restore it to its former glory.
Rev’d Gillean Craig, vicar of St Mary Abbots, and chairman of the ongoing appeal, said: “This great treasure of the church can now be better properly appreciated and admired. The monument reflects the historic connections between St Mary Abbots Church and Kensington Palace , a connection which continues today.”
Princess Louise was the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and by the age of 20 had exhibited at the Royal Academy. Her most famous work, a marble statue of Queen Victoria at the time of her accession to the throne, stands outside Kensington Palace.
