As published by the Prince of Wales:
General de Gaulle’s Appel of 1940 came to embody the spirit of the French Resistance. But it also mirrored the determination ..that my grandparents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, themselves shared, refusing to leave London during the Blitz and standing with the people of London through the darkest of days.
It is a matter of particular pride for me, therefore, that not only should this statue of General de Gaulle stand here in our Capital; but that it should stand a few short steps from those of my beloved grandparents who so admired his fortitude.
