I was wondering why I’d heard of Banbury Cross, but then I realised that it was from an historic nursery rhyme. This main event is the “Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross, to see a fine lady upon a white horse.” but no-one knows for sure who the fine lady was meant to be, which is terribly British, to celebrate someone anonymously for centuries. Theories range from Queen Elizabeth I to Lady Godiva, to some entirely fictional woman who had the good sense to sit on a horse while everyone else was walking. Anyway, the cross in the nursery rhyme was pulled down in 1600.
This ornate little number dates from 1859 when it was erected to mark the wedding of the Princess Royal (1840-1901), the daughter of Queen Victoria, to Prince Frederick of Prussia (1831-1888) in the previous year. She was a little unlucky, as she was Empress of Prussia for just 99 days after her husband died soon after becoming Emperor in March 1888.
In 1914, the statues of Queen Victoria, King Edward VII and King George V were added, with the cross being restored in 2012. Its major fault as far as I’m concerned is that it’s inaccessible, or without risking life and limb, as it’s stuck in the middle of a roundabout. It does take away a little from the excitement when it can only be seen from behind barriers. There’s a photo on the Francis Frith website at https://www.francisfrith.com/banbury/banbury-cross-1921_70582 from 1921 which shows that it was once rather more accessible.
This is rather lovely though, located nearby.