London: The 177-year-old Historic St. Mark's Church Destroyed in Large Fire

♰ This beautiful church described as a historical treasure and which has links to the Royal Family has been tragically destroyed in a fire.

St Mark's Church in St John's Wood, which is grade 2 listed, was home to many significant memorials, artifacts and mosaics, and had strong ties to Queen Victoria's son Prince Leopold, whose tutor was vicar there for around four decades, and the Prince himself laid a foundation stone there in 1877.

❖ Built in 1846 to replace a small temporary building which had been set up to cater for the expanding population of St John's Wood
❖ Survived being hit by an enemy bomb in 1941 during World War Two, with work to rebuild its spire being completed in 1955
❖ The interior features several memorials including one commemorating the tragedy of the Herald of Free Enterprise, a cross channel ferry which capsized off Zeebrugge in 1987
❖ The floor and walls are decorated with ornate mosaics including multicoloured and gold depictions of Bible passages
❖ Robinson Duckworth was appointed vicar of St Mark's in 1870 after spending four years as Prince Leopold's tutor. Prince Leopold also laid the church's foundation stone when it was built
❖ Duckworth was immortalised as the duck in the jury box in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in wonderland and was in the boat when the writer first told his famous story.