24. The Charing Cross Memorial Is Actually A Copy (And It's Not Even In The Right Spot)
The memorial in the forecourt of Charing Cross Station is stunning, there's no doubt about that. But it just so happens to be a Victorian replacement for the original. The copy is situated 180 yards away from where it originally stood - that spot is now occupied by a statue of Charles I riding a horse. Charing Cross has nothing to do with Charles I, though. The original memorial was erected in 1290 by the grief-stricken Edward I following the death of his wife, Eleanor of Castile, after 36 years of marriage.