The Lions of Trafalgar Square

Four enormous bronze lions rest at the base of Nelson’s Column in London’s Trafalgar Square. The column commemorates Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died during Britain’s victory over the combined French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Although the column was completed in 1843, its now-famous lions were not added until more than two decades later.

The lions were designed by Sir Edwin Landseer, one of Victorian Britain’s most celebrated painters of animals. Landseer was not primarily a sculptor, and the commission took considerably longer than expected. The completed lions were cast in bronze and installed around the column in 1867. Their massive bodies, detailed manes, and watchful expressions give them the appearance of quietly guarding the monument.

Over time, the lions became attractions in their own right. Generations of visitors have posed beside them, rested against their paws, and climbed onto their broad backs. Their size makes them imposing from a distance, but approachable enough to become part of the experience of visiting Trafalgar Square.

During our family visit to London, our daughters joined generations of visitors who have made the lions part of their experience of Trafalgar Square. What began as a formal tribute to British naval history has become one of the city’s most familiar and approachable landmarks.