Victoria reigns on Trafalgar Square plinth
Monday 12th October 2009, 10:11AM BST.
A Shropshire woman proved herself most amusing to visitors to London’s Trafalgar Square when she took her place on the fourth plinth dressed as Queen Victoria.
Sylvia Breakwell, from Onibury, performing under her maiden name Sylvia Strange, was on the plinth on Saturday as part of a public art project run by sculptor Anthony Gormley.
She was accompanied by her friend Jean Grange as Lady Charlotte Ponsonby and a Billy Connolly-look-alike playing John Brown.
They took part in the project after they were asked to fill an hour-long slot when someone dropped out.
In her guise as Queen Victoria, Mrs Breakwell was seen talking through a megaphone to those gathered below.
Although not trained as an actress, she has been working as a Queen Victoria re-enactor for seven years after meeting her friend.
She said: “Jean and I didn’t know each other particularly well, but we hit it off. The following week there was an advert for a Queen Victoria in Birmingham and I said to Jean ‘let’s have a go’ and we got it and it took off from there.”
She added: “It’s taken a number of years to get the right costumes and the right corsets.”
The friends have done re-enactments all over the country including Cardiff Castle and Victoria’s residence, Osborne House.
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