Victoria Tower, Guernsey

Victoria Tower is a monument in Saint Peter Port, Guernsey, erected in honor of a visit by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to the island in 1846.HistoryAs the 1846 royal visit was the first time a reigning monarch had ever visited the island, a small granite stone was laid to mark where the queen had first stepped ashore in St Peter Port harbour. The following year, the architect William Colling was asked to draw up plans for a tower to commemorate the monarch's visit.The site chosen for Victoria Tower was an earthen mound opposite the Arsenal, where Guernsey's militia were housed. On 27 May 1848 the first foundation stone was laid by the Governor of Guernsey, Major General John Bell, during a large ceremony. In the foundations of the tower was a time capsule containing Guernsey and English coins.On 14 August 1859 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited the island again and after an island tour came to inspect the tower.In 1999 structural problems led to the tower's being closed to the general public; it was re-opened on 24 May 2006, the birthday of Queen Victoria, during a re-enactment of the ceremony accompanying the laying of the foundation stone in 1848. The Lieutenant Governor, Vice Admiral Sir Fabian Malbon KBE, re-opened the tower in the presence of the Bailiff Geoffrey Rowland.