Confusing! The Alexandras in Queenstown meant two different people and two different royalties. As many people might have known by know, road and place names in Queenstown commemorate the different characters in the British royalty. What some of you may not know is that Alexandra Road and Alexandra Park are referring to two different people! Who are there? Let us find out today!
Alexandra Road in Queenstown
The first of the two Alexandras in Queenstown was officially named Queen Alexandra, consort to King Emperor Edward VII. She was the daughter-in-law of Queen Victoria and great-grandmother of the reigning Queen Elizabeth II. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, she was chosen to be the bride of the then heir apparent, Albert Edward, for the British throne. She was coronated on 9 August 1902 after the death of Queen Victoria and became Queen consort of the United Kingdom until May 1910.
Alexandra Fire Station was one the places named after Queen Alexandra
Alexandra Road was first established by the British in 1864 connecting River Valley Road with Pasir Panjang to commemorate Queen Alexandra's, then a Princess-of-Wales, marriage to Crown Prince Albert Edward in 1863. Alexandra Close was the name given in 1955 to a road leading to the newly built Singapore Imporvement Trust estate, Queenstown, off Alexandra Road. It also marked the 30th anniversary of Queen Alexandra's death.
Some of the buildings today in Alexandra Road are named after the Queen. They include Alexandra Hospital and Alexandra Fire Station.
What about the other Alexandra?
Enter Hyderabad Road off Alexandra Road to enter Alexandra Park
Alexandra Park, named after Princess Alexandra, was the residential area of the British forces in Singapore during colonial period. Princess Alexandra, born in 1936, is the youngest granddaughter of King George V of the United Kingdom. She is the widow of Sir Angus Ogilvy and cousin of reigning Queen Elizabeth II. On request of her cousin, she tours the Commonwealth country frequently on royal duties.
Eton House in Alexandra Park
Alexandra Park was a former pepper plantation, with only one house standing there from 1905. Most of the other houses in this residential estate were erected between 1935 and 1940. Some buildings such as Eton House were added later to house the army medical doctors and technicians from Alexandra Hospital (British Military Hospital). Established by the British, the Park followed the example of the original English garden suburb. The lush greenery in this park is a popular location for many Channel 8 dramas and the tree-lined roads here are named after places in Britain and the Commonwealth. They include Bury, Canterbury, Cornwall, Hyderabad, Winchester and York. During the Japanese Occupation of 1942-45, these houses were converted into medical officer barracks and an observation post. At this time, the tennis courts and sports complex were destroyed and air raid shelters were dug into the hill.
View of Normaton Park from Alexandra Hill Park
The former Alexandra Hill Primary School is named after Princess Alexandra. While the old buildings and structures in Queenstown who bear the name "Alexandra" are well accounted for and are named after either one of the Alexandras, newer structures like Alexandra Arch are well, confusing. Which Alexandra is the Arch named after?
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