International Women’s Day: Emmeline Pankhurst statue unveiled at Madame Tussauds

Emmeline Pankhurst was one of the key figures and orchestrators of the Suffragette movement and was instrumental in helping women win equal voting rights to men in the United Kingdom.
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Madame Tussauds has unveiled a statue of Emmeline Pankhurst to celebrate International Women’s Day.

It also marks 120 years since Pankhurst co-founded the ground-breaking Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU).

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Pankhurst was one of the key figures and orchestrators of the Suffragette movement and was instrumental in helping women win equal voting rights to men in the United Kingdom.

Bringing history back to life, the Baker Street attraction’s new figure depicts the Suffragette standing on a chair, as she often did to be elevated above the crowd so they could hear her rallying speeches.

Madame Tussauds has unveiled a new statue of Emmeline Pankhurst. Credit: SuppliedMadame Tussauds has unveiled a new statue of Emmeline Pankhurst. Credit: Supplied
Madame Tussauds has unveiled a new statue of Emmeline Pankhurst. Credit: Supplied

Dressed in the Suffragette movement’s colours of purple and white, the figure’s lapel also displays Pankhurst’s hunger strike medal.

General manager at Madame Tussauds London, Tim Waters, said: "This is the second figure that we have created of Emmeline Pankhurst after she was first immortalised in 1908 during the Suffragette movement.

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"With her new figure, we are able to bring history back to life in a way that only Madame Tussauds London can, by giving guests the opportunity to see her in 3D, as though stood amongst the crowd at one of her famous rousing speeches."

The statue was unveiled by feminist activist, illustrator and writer, Florence Given who reflected on Pankhurst’s legacy and the progress that has been made in the past 100 years

She said: "I know that sounds so basic and straightforward and it doesn’t feel like it’s going to make a massive change but it’s a tiny domino effect.

"You can never say the same things enough times as there’s someone who will be hearing it for the first time, too.

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"You don’t always need a platform, sometimes your platform can be your family table and that’s your soapbox."

A memorial to Pankhurst and her daughter Christabel has been located near the Palace of Westminster since the 1930s.