President Reagan was a true ally of U.K.

列根銅像七月倫敦揭幕

2011-02-06 16:30:00

美 國已故總統列根的一座銅像定於今年七月美國國慶日當天，在倫敦的格羅夫納廣場揭幕，以紀念列根一百歲壽辰。　　該個三公尺（約十呎）高的銅像將會矗立在美 國駐倫敦大使館附近一個基座上面，與現有的其他兩位二十世紀美國領袖艾森豪威爾（Dwight Eisenhower）和羅斯福（Franklin D Roosevelt）的雕像並立。雖然美國大使館將於明年遷往一個新地點，但這三座雕像仍會留在倫敦中部的梅菲爾區。　　列根的銅像定於今年七月四日美國 國慶日舉行揭幕儀式。列根基金會已邀請英國前首相戴卓爾夫人（Margaret Thatcher）和現任首相卡梅倫出席揭幕禮。

Statue honour for Ronald Reagan

American artist Chas Fagan will sculpt the 10ft high bronze statue

Former US president Ronald Reagan is to be honoured with a new memorial in central London.

A statue of Mr Reagan, who died in 2004, will be placed outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square.

Westminster City Council has changed its usual policy of only allowing memorials to people who have been dead for 10 or more years.

The former actor served as US president from 1981 until 1989 and died at the age of 93.

'True ally'

To recognise Mr Reagan's contribution to the end of the Cold War, a piece of the Berlin Wall will be installed in front of the artwork.

American artist Chas Fagan will sculpt the 10ft-high bronze figure, which will stand opposite a statue of former US president Dwight D Eisenhower on a Portland stone plinth, outside the embassy.

Steve Summers, from Westminster City Council, said: "Regardless of politics, nobody can dispute that President Reagan was a true ally of this country.

"It is only right and proper we exempt President Reagan, as a former head of state, from the usual rules on statues."

We are obviously delighted that the application has been approved. We also hope the statue will be educational. Jennie Elias, president of the Reagan Memorial Fund Trust

The statue will cost up to £200,000, with the majority being raised by the California-based Ronald Reagan Foundation. However, some funds will be raised in the UK.

Westminster City council will also pay an estimated £50,000 towards the maintenance of the sculpture.

Jennie Elias, president of the Reagan Memorial Fund Trust, submitted the application for the memorial, which was approved by the council on Thursday.

Ms Elias said: "We are obviously delighted that the application has been approved but this is the first stage of the project. We also hope the statue will be educational."