The Pump and Le Comte de Paris
| Nearby Claremont was bought in 1816 for Princess Charlotte, who was heir to the throne. Although she died in 1817, the mansion and estate was retained as a royal residence until 1914 and her successor as heir to the throne, Victoria, spent a lot of time there. From 1848-1850 the deposed King Louis-Phillipe of France and his Queen lived there and, although he died in 1850, his widow continued in residence until her death in 1866. Their grandson, HRH The Comte de Paris, married Princess Isabella of Spain in 1864, spending part of his honeymoon at Claremont and presenting the pump to the town in commemoration of his marriage. By 1876 the water had become unsafe to drink, and was replaced by a drinking fountain presented by Queen Victoria, the pump being moved from its original position in the High St to Sandown Park. It was moved to its current position in 1961 and has recently been refurbished. |