Cleopatra’s Needle is located on the Victoria Embankment in London near Waterloo Bridge. The Needle is one of a trio of Needles around the world, the others being in Paris and New York. Presented to the United Kingdom in 1819 it commemorates the victories of Nelson in the Battle of the Nile and Sir Ralph Abercromby in Battle of Alexandria.
On either side of the Needle are two bronze Sphinxes, the right hand Sphinx still bares the shrapnel holes from a German air raid on London.
Of note in the panorama is the state of the area surrounding the Needle – from milk bottles to rubbish bags to broken glass its nice to see Westminster Council is looking after London during these summer tourist months.