The much publicised statue of African explorer, and one of Denbigh’s most famous sons, Henry Morton Stanley, will be officially unveiled on 17 March at 11am, outside Denbigh Library.
Tim Jeal, the biographer of H M Stanley will officially unveil the statue, which has been sculpted by artist, Nick Elphick of Llandudno.
The statue was commissioned by the H M Stanley Commemorative Group with funding from Cadwyn Clwyd; supplementary funding was secured from Denbigh Town Council and Denbighshire County Council.
Representatives from the Congo – Wales Friendship Circle will be present to celebrate this event. It is hoped that representatives on behalf of the Mayor of Kinshasa will be attending – depending on the success of their visa applications and also representatives from the Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo in London. Some of Stanley’s relatives will also be present.
Councillor Gwyneth Kensler, said: “We are delighted that Stanley will finally have a statue here in Denbigh. He overcame adversity, poverty and rejection to become one of the world’s most famous explorers. We are especially pleased that Congolese friends will be among the official guests and we hope to build on this relationship between Wales and the Democratic Republic of Congo.”
Tim Jeal’s book, ‘STANLEY, the Impossible Life Of Africa’s Greatest Explorer’, is published by Faber & Faber.
