In congruence with today's tour, Charing Cross Station gained its name in a rather morbidly romantic manner: the story of the station’s namesake begins with the relationship of Eleanor of Castille and King Edward I, whose arranged marriage blossomed into a warm, passionate romance. Upon the early death of Eleanor at the age of 48, Edward found himself overcome with grief; in his sorrows, a funeral procession was commanded, stretching from Lincoln to Westminster, a harrowing 143 miles in distance from point to point. Along this procession Edward ordered 12 memorial crosses to be erected in the 12 places of stopping, each a symbol to pray upon in memory of the Queen’s life. The “most elaborate and expensive”, final cross was built in Charing Cross, known simply as “Charing” at the time. In fact, it was Queen Eleanor’s desire to have her heart buried in Blackfriars Monastery, which now lies beneath the station itself; it could be said that a piece of their everlasting love will always remain with the beloved Charing Cross. And although the original memorial was destroyed during the English Civil War, a replica has been erected that can still be viewed today ("The Eleanor Crosses").
Amy Levy’s critically acclaimed novel The Romance of a Shop contains a subtle reference to the station: the story follows four sisters- Fanny, Gertrude, Lucy, and Phyllis- in their journey to open a photography shop in late 19th century England. In contrast to the aforementioned love of Eleanor and Edward, Charing Cross retains a less than positive connotation within The Romance of a Shop- it is the station where Sidney Darryl and Phyllis, two characters who held a fleeting, fatuous romance over the course of the story, were planning on reaching to travel to Italy (Levy|Chapter XX). Instead of representing an everlasting love, Charing Cross represents the downfall of Sidney and Phyllis’s relationship, although it is doubtful that what the two held could be referred to as “love” as much as an infatuation with one another. The station was the beginning of the end, where Phyllis’s true condition was realized by the audience.
In more recent times, Charing Cross Station is perhaps one of the greatest symbols of perseverance to be found in London. After many disastrous bombings during WW2, the station has been rebuilt to its present-day beauty, still holding as much importance as ever. Today, the station is one of the busiest train stations in London, transporting approximately 30.2 million travelers a year ("London Charing Cross"): this has led to it being named the “central” station in London, and is the main departure destination when one wants to travel abroad from the city. And with a bit of cinematic magic, the terminal itself has made quite a few appearances in famous movies, from “Paddington'' to the “Skyfall'' installment in James Bond (Wignall).
Works Cited:
“Charing Cross From Northumberland House in 1750.” British History Online, www.british-history.ac.uk/old-new-london/vol3/pp123-134/.Accessed 2 October 2022.
“Charing Cross Railway Station, London.” Visit London, www.visitlondon.com/traveller-information/place/288159-charing-cross-ra… 2 October 2022.
“The Eleanor Crosses: Longshanks’ love set in stone.” The History Press, www.thehistorypress.co.uk/articles/the-eleanor-crosses-longshanks-love-…. Accessed 2 October 2022.
Levy, Amy. The Romance of a Shop. Germinal Productions, Ltd/ Black Apollo Press, 1888.
“London Charing Cross - Facilities, Shops and Parking Information.” Network Rail, 2022, www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/passengers/our-stations/london-charin…. Accessed 2 October 2022.
Wignall, Kate. “Behind the Scenes of Charing Cross Station | London Underground Tour.” Look Up London, 29 April 2019, www.lookup.london/charing-cross-station/. Accessed 2 October 2022.
Wignall, Kaitie. “The Current Cross.” Look up London, 21 Oct. 2021, lookup.london/charing-cross-history. Accessed 2 October 2022.