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Cádiz Memorial

Cádiz Memorial, also known as the Prince Regent’s Bomb, is a French mortar from the early 19th century mounted on a decorative brass monster. It is located at Horse Guards Parade in Westminster, London. The monument was first shown to the public on 12 August 1816. Since 1 December 1987, it has been listed as a Grade II British monument. The memorial also became the subject of several early 19th-century satires and cartoons, largely because the word “bomb” sounded like “bum,” prompting jokes about the Prince Regent’s rear.

Cádiz Memorial sculpture of a winged dragon-like creature supporting a cannon barrel
The Cádiz Memorial shows a winged dragon-like figure carrying a cannon barrel on its back.
February 2007 © R. Sones · CC BY-SA 2.0
The Cádiz Memorial stands on Horseguards Parade, with an ornate dark sculptural base and a cannon-like barrel rising upward in front of a large classical building.
The Cádiz Memorial on Horseguards Parade, London.
December 2015 © · CC BY 4.0
The Cádiz Memorial shows a large mortar mounted on a dark dragon-like sculpture, with a white building and equestrian statue in the background.
The Cádiz Memorial at Horse Guards Parade, featuring a mortar mounted on a dragon-like cast-iron support.
October 2009 © · CC BY 2.0
Close-up of the Cádiz Memorial plaque set into a sculpted base with textured relief and a dark metal post beside it.
A close-up of the Cádiz Memorial plaque, showing the engraved inscription set into a textured base.
September 2009 © hugh llewelyn · CC BY-SA 2.0
Crowned woman straddling a large green cannon mounted on a winged dragon, with speech bubble above the clouds.
The Cádiz Memorial depicted as a colorful caricature of a crowned woman riding a cannon mounted on a dragon.
© J. Lewis Marks · Public domain

Identification

TitleCádiz Memorial
Typememorial sculpture featuring a captured French siege mortar mounted on a decorative brass monster
Alternative nameMonumento a Cádiz
NicknamePrince Regent's Bomb

Historical context

Date madeMarch 1811
Place madeSeville, Spain
Original purposeCast for the destruction of Cádiz and its port as a giant siege weapon for the French army under Marshal Soult during the siege of Cádiz
Battle and siege contextUsed during the two-year siege of Cádiz and later abandoned by the retreating French after the Battle of Salamanca
Capture and transferCaptured by the Spanish Regency and presented to Rear Admiral Arthur Kaye Legge

Creator

Construction and mountingBuilt and mounted by the Royal Carriage Department at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich under the direction of the Earl of Mulgrave, Master General, at the Prince Regent's instruction

Physical characteristics

Main elementsA French mortar mounted on a brass monster with a dog figure at the rear and an elaborate bronze base
Base dimensions2.79 m by 1.37 m
Overall height3 m
Weight16 tons

Materials

Primary materialsFrench mortar, brass, and bronze
Base materialbronze

Appearance

Base formA brass bed or platform representing the rock on which the monster rests
Front decorationThe Prince of Wales's feathers in high relief
Monster figureDante's reimagining of Geryon, with wings instead of multiple heads and two twin tails wrapped around the mortar
Rear figureOrthrus, depicted as a dog behind the mortar

Iconography and meaning

Mythological associationAssociated with Geryon and the island of Gades, linked to modern Cádiz
Inscription languageLatin and English
North inscriptionLatin inscription stating that after the French were defeated by the Duke of Wellington near Salamanca and the siege of Cádiz was raised, the mortar was presented to George, illustrious British Prince, by the Spanish Parliament as a testimony of veneration, and that he ordered it to be placed in this location and decorated with these ornaments
South inscriptionEnglish inscription commemorating the raising of the Siege of Cádiz after Wellington's victory over the French at Salamanca on 22 July 1812, stating that the mortar was presented by the Spanish Nation to His Royal Highness the Prince Regent
Rear inscriptionBuilt in the Royal Carriage Department. Earl of Mulgrave, Master General - A.D. 1814.
Historical event commemoratedThe raising of the Siege of Cádiz
Related battleThe Battle of Salamanca, 22 July 1812
MeaningA token of respect, gratitude, and veneration for British assistance in the raising of the siege of Cádiz

Location and ownership

Listed statusGrade II listed monument
Date listed1 December 1987
Current locationHorse Guards Parade, Westminster, London, England, United Kingdom
First public display12 August 1816
Initial installationInstalled on Horse Guards Parade on the south side of the parade ground behind a square of chevaux de frise
Current positionAdjacent to the Horse Guards building

History and restoration

Satirical receptionThe monument was the subject of many satirical verses, cartoons, and caricatures in the early 19th century
Reason for satire"Bomb" was pronounced like "bum," prompting scatological puns about the Prince Regent's backside
Related satirical worksC. F. Lawler's The Regent's Bomb, William Hone's unveiling verse, George Cruikshank's cartoon, and S. W. Fores's A Representation of the Regent's Tremendous Thing erected in the Park
Later caricature trendLater cartoonists often depicted the mortar with the Prince Regent's mistress Lady Hertford

Other

Source noteSome sources describe the monster as a Chinese dragon