Editing Leicester Square (section)

==History==

===16th–18th centuries===
[[File:Leicester Square en 1750.JPG|thumb|Leicester Square in 1750, looking north towards Leicester House, then one of the largest houses in London.{{sfn|Weinreb et al|2008|p=479}}]]
The land where Leicester Square now lies once belonged to the Abbot and Convent of [[Westminster Abbey]] and the [[Baron Beaumont|Beaumont family]]. In 1536, [[Henry VIII]] took control of {{convert|3|acre|ha}} of land around the square, with the remaining {{convert|4|acre|ha}} being transferred to the king the following year. The square is named after [[Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester]], who purchased this land in 1630.{{sfn|Weinreb et al|2008|p=479}} By 1635, he had built himself a large house, [[Leicester House (Westminster)|Leicester House]], at the northern end. The area in front of the house was then enclosed, depriving inhabitants of [[St Martin in the Fields (parish)|St Martin in the Fields]] parish of their right to use the previously common land. The parishioners appealed to King [[Charles I of England|Charles I]], and he appointed three members of the [[privy council]] to arbitrate. Lord Leicester was ordered to keep part of his land (thereafter known as Leicester Fields and later as Leicester Square) open for the parishioners. <ref name=north>{{cite journal|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=41120|title=Leicester Square, North Side, and Lisle Street Area: Leicester Estate: Leicester House and Leicester Square North Side (Nos 1–16)|journal=Survey of London|volume=33–34 : St Anne Soho|year=1966|pages=441–472|access-date=2 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015054410/https://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=41120|archive-date=15 October 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

The square was laid out to the south of Leicester House and developed in the 1670s. The area was originally entirely residential, with properties laid out in a similar style to nearby [[Pall Mall, London|Pall Mall]].{{sfn|Weinreb et al|2008|p=479}} In 1687, the northern part of the square became part of the new parish of [[St Anne Within the Liberty of Westminster|St Anne, Soho]]. The [[Jocelyn Sidney, 7th Earl of Leicester|7th Earl of Leicester]] took ownership of the property in 1728 and it was the residence of [[Frederick, Prince of Wales]], from 1742 until his death in 1751 and that of his wife Princess [[Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha|Augusta]] until 1771.<ref name=north/> The poet [[Matthew Prior]] lived at what is now No.&nbsp;21 around 1700 and artist [[William Hogarth]] resided at No&nbsp;30 between 1733 and 1764, where he produced some of his best known works including ''[[Gin Lane]]''.{{sfn|Weinreb et al|2008|p=479}} The magistrate [[Thomas de Veil]], later to found [[Bow Street Magistrates' Court]], lived at No&nbsp;40 between 1729 and 1737; this location is now The Londoner hotel and [[Odeon Luxe West End]] cinema.{{sfn|Weinreb et al|2008|p=480}} The painter [[Joshua Reynolds]] lived at No&nbsp;47 from 1760 until his death in 1792; this location is now Fanum House, once [[the Automobile Association]] head office.{{sfn|Weinreb et al|2008|p=479}}

At the end of the 17th century, Lord Leicester's heir, [[Philip Sidney, 3rd Earl of Leicester]], permitted a small amount of retail development in booths along the front of Leicester House.{{sfn|Weinreb et al|2008|p=479}} A statue of [[George I of Great Britain|George I]] was built on the square in 1760 following the coronation of his great-grandson, [[George III]].{{sfn|Moore|2003|p=89}} The square remained fashionable throughout most of the 18th century, with notable residents including the architect [[James Stuart (1713–1788)|James Stuart]] at No&nbsp;35 from 1766 to 1788 and the painter [[John Singleton Copley]] at No.&nbsp;28 from 1776 to 1783.{{sfn|Weinreb et al|2008|p=480}}

Leicester House was intermittently inhabited during the mid-18th century, and was finally sold to the naturalist [[Ashton Lever]] in 1775. Lever turned the house into a museum with a significant amount of natural history objects. In turn, the square began to serve as a venue for popular entertainments.<ref name=north/> [[Brothel]]s began to appear around Leicester Square during the century, and visitors could pay to watch the severed heads of traitors executed at [[Temple Bar, London|Temple Bar]] through a [[telescope]].{{sfn|Moore|2003|pp=87,89}} Leicester House became home of a museum of natural curiosities called the [[Leverian collection|Holophusikon]] in the 1780s.<ref name=north/>{{sfn|Weinreb et al|2008|pp=478–479}} It was demolished in 1791–72 due to rising debts following the extinction of the Leicester peerage, and replaced by Leicester Place. That in turn was converted into a church in 1865 and is now the site of the [[Prince Charles Cinema]].{{sfn|Weinreb et al|2008|p=479}}

In 1790, a new [[Royal Opera House]] was proposed to be built in Leicester Square. The scheme was led by the [[George IV|Prince of Wales]], [[Francis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford]] and [[James Cecil, 1st Marquess of Salisbury]] and aimed to re-establish London as a centre for Italian opera and ballet, with an opera house to rival those in mainland Europe. The opera house was never built, as the [[patent theatre|royal patent]] needed at that time to license a theatre was refused.<ref>{{cite journal|title=A Royal Opera House in Leicester Square (1790)|periodical=Cambridge Opera Journal|last1=Price|last2=Milhous|last3=Hume|first1=Curtis|first2=Judith|first3=Robert D.|date=March 1990|pages=1–28|volume=2|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge, UK}}</ref> The plans for the original design are preserved in [[Sir John Soane's Museum]], while a 1790 painting by [[William Hodges]], which displays the finished design, belongs to the [[Museum of London]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/leicester-square-london-with-the-design-for-a-proposed-new-opera-house-50836|title=Leicester Square, London, with the Design for a Proposed New Opera House|access-date=20 January 2015|publisher=[[Art UK]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314044831/http://artuk.org/discover/artworks/leicester-square-london-with-the-design-for-a-proposed-new-opera-house-50836|archive-date=14 March 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

===19th–21st centuries===
[[File:Leicester Square with the Alhambra formerly the Royal Panopticon ILN 1874.jpg|thumb|left|Leicester Square overlooking the [[Alhambra Theatre]] in 1874]]
By the 19th century, Leicester Square was known as an entertainment venue, with many amusements peculiar to the era, including [[Wyld's Great Globe]], which was built for the [[Great Exhibition]] of 1851 and housed a giant scale map of the Earth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.victorianlondon.org/districts/leicestersquare.htm|title=A Journey Round the Globe|work=[[Punch (magazine)|Punch]]|year=1851|access-date=4 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303174847/http://www.victorianlondon.org/districts/leicestersquare.htm|archive-date=3 March 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>{{efn|The globe gave a complete view of the world at a scale of ten miles / inch. [[James Wyld]] constructed the globe as he believed it would show the importance of Britain and revitalise Leicester Square, which was becoming downtrodden by the 1850s.{{sfn|Black|2000|pp=29–31}}}} The construction of New [[Coventry Street]] made it easier for traffic to access the square, resulting in private residences being replaced by shops, museums and exhibition centres. [[Savile House]] at No.&nbsp;5–6, built in 1683 for [[Thomas Bruce, 2nd Earl of Ailesbury]], had become a museum by this time, and was ultimately destroyed by fire in 1865. It was rebuilt as the Empire Theatre.{{sfn|Weinreb et al|2008|pp=480, 822}}<ref name=north/>

Several foreign-owned hotels were established around the square, making it popular with visitors to London. [[Brunet's Hôtel]] at No.&nbsp;25 was opened by Louis Brunet in 1800, later expanding to Nos.&nbsp;24 and 26 during the following decade. It was bought by Francis Jaunay in 1815 known as [[Jaunay's Hôtel]]. The [[Hôtel Sablonière et de Provence]] opened at No.&nbsp;17–18 in 1845 as the Hôtel de Provence, and renamed in 1869. It closed in 1919 and became a public house. The [[Cavour Hotel|Cavour]], at No.&nbsp;20 at the southeast of the square, opened in 1864. It was badly damaged in World War II but subsequently restored.{{sfn|Weinreb et al|2008|p=480}}<ref>{{cite journal|title=Leicester Square, East Side: Leicester Estate, Nos 17–30 Leicester Square and Irving Street (formerly Green Street)|journal=Survey of London|volume=33–34: St Anne Soho|editor=F H W Sheppard|location=London|year=1966|pages=448–503|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vols33-4/pp488-503|access-date=4 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210212204/http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vols33-4/pp488-503|archive-date=10 December 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Leicester Square c1880.jpg|thumb|Leicester Square in 1880, looking north east]]
The [[Alhambra Theatre]] was built in 1854 on the east side of the square, dominating the site. It temporarily closed two years later when the original owner, Edward Clarke, became bankrupt, but then reopened in 1858 as the Alhambra Palace. It enjoyed a surge in popularity after [[Queen Victoria]] and family came to see "Black Eagle – The Horse of Beauty". It burned down in 1882, but reopened the following year.{{sfn|Weinreb et al|2008|pp=16–17}} In the early 20th century, the theatre became a popular venue for ballet. It was demolished in 1936 and replaced by the [[Odeon Leicester Square|Odeon Cinema]].{{sfn|Weinreb et al|2008|pp=16–17}} The [[Empire, Leicester Square|Empire Theatre of Varieties]] opened in 1884 on the former site of Savile House, but had a troubled start, closing for a time, until the end of the decade. The theatre gained a reputation for high-class [[prostitute]]s frequenting the theatre, and in 1894 the [[London County Council]] ordered the promenade on the upper balcony to be remodelled. A young [[Winston Churchill]], then a cadet at the [[Royal Military Academy Sandhurst]], helped destroy canvas screens that had been erected to prevent access to the balcony. The theatre closed in 1927, to be replaced by the [[Empire, Leicester Square|Empire Cinema]].{{sfn|Weinreb et al|2008|p=272}}

During the [[Winter of Discontent]], where the incumbent [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] struggled to meet demands of trade unions and a shrinking economy, refuse collectors went on strike in January 1979. Leicester Square was turned into a ''de facto'' dump, earning it the nickname of "[[wikt:fester|Fester]] Square".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7598366.stm|title=Then was the winter of our discontent|work=BBC Radio 4|access-date=3 October 2015|date=5 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081005171919/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7598366.stm|archive-date=5 October 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> In the 1980s, the square was [[pedestrianisation|pedestrianised]], cutting off all vehicular traffic.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://myparks.westminster.gov.uk/parks/leicester-square-gardens/|title=Leicester Square Gardens|publisher=Westminster City Council|year=2010|access-date=6 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007033607/http://myparks.westminster.gov.uk/parks/leicester-square-gardens/|archive-date=7 October 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Access to the square for goods and deliveries is now controlled by specially designated marshals.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.westminster.gov.uk/marshals|title=Marshals|publisher=Westminster City Council|access-date=6 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007030912/https://www.westminster.gov.uk/marshals|archive-date=7 October 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

By the start of the 21st century, [[Westminster City Council]] were concerned that the square was too dangerous at night, and wanted to demolish sections of it to encourage the growth of theatres and cinemas, and reduce popularity of nightclubs.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2861799.stm|title=Facelift hope for Leicester Square|work=BBC News|date=18 March 2003|access-date=3 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040113221107/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2861799.stm|archive-date=13 January 2004|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2010, a major redevelopment of Leicester Square took place as part of a Great Outdoors scheme proposed by the [[Mayor of London]], [[Boris Johnson]].<ref name=refurb>{{cite web|url=https://www.london.gov.uk/media/mayor-press-releases/2012/05/transformed-leicester-square-brings-new-jobs-and-boost-to-west|title=Transformed Leicester Square Brings New Jobs and Boost to West End|publisher=Greater London Authority|date=23 May 2012|access-date=3 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004141708/https://www.london.gov.uk/media/mayor-press-releases/2012/05/transformed-leicester-square-brings-new-jobs-and-boost-to-west|archive-date=4 October 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> The improvements included {{convert|12000|sqm|sqft}} of granite paving and a [[water feature]] surrounding the Shakespeare statue.<ref name=ind_refurb/> The square re-opened in May 2012 after 17 months' work at a total cost of £15.3 million. The [[Greater London Authority]] said the refurbishments would accommodate more than 1,000 new jobs.<ref name=refurb/> The re-opening coincided with the [[2012 Summer Olympics]] later that year.<ref name=ind_refurb>{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/newlook-leicester-square-reopens-7781842.html | work=The Independent | title=New-look Leicester Square reopens | date=23 May 2012 | access-date=3 October 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205135420/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/newlook-leicester-square-reopens-7781842.html | archive-date=5 December 2013 | url-status=live }}</ref>