
Wellington Arch, or Constitution Arch, was designed by Decimus Burton, and erected in 1828 as a memorial to Sir Arthur Wellsley, 1st Duke of Wellington, soldier and Prime Minister.
The archway, crowned by a giant statue of the Duke astride a horse, originally stood as a grand entrance to London. However, in 1882, as part of a road widening scheme, the arch was moved to its current home at Hyde Park Corner , and now stands in a huge traffic island.