Why did the Duke of York Monument Close to Visitors, and Does a Secret Lie Beneath?
A striking monument built in the 1830s commemorated the son of a king and served as a tourist attraction. Inside, 168 narrow steps led upwards to a viewing gallery overlooking St James's Park and beyond. But why did it close before the end of the century? And what about rumours that its doorway now leads down underground to secret tunnels linking either Buckingham Palace or to Whitehall? For several decades in the 19th century, visitors to the Duke of York Column in London could ascend to the top for sweeping views across St James’s Park and Whitehall. Today the door at its base is closed, the viewing gallery long out of use. The column commemorates Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany, second son of George III and heir presumptive, who died on 5 January 1827. Formerly Commander-in-Chief of the British Army, and sometimes linked to the “Grand Old Duke of York” nursery rhyme, he oversaw significant military reforms during his career. The Duke’s reputation was complicated and he...