Duke of Cambridge to unveil statue in Stourbridge honouring 'British Schindler' Frank Foley
Prince William is to visit the Black Country later this month to unveil a statue to the 'British Schindler' hero Frank Foley.
The Duke of Cambridge will visit Mary Stevens Park, in Stourbridge, on September 18, to unveil a new statue of Major Frank Foley CMG.
Major Frank Foley was an undercover British spy based in Berlin where he provided documents to help Jews escape before the Second World War.
The Duke will talk to members of Major Foley's family and descendants of some of the people whom he saved to remember his life and achievement.
His Royal Highness will also meet Dudley North MP Ian Austin and representatives of the Holocaust Educational Trust who have worked together to spearhead the campaign to honour Major Foley.
The statue, which has cost £40,000, is being sculpted by Birmingham-based artist Andy DeComyn.
Stourbridge was the place where Major Foley – dubbed the British Schindler – settled in his later life, retiring at a property on Eveson Road in Norton.
Artist Mr DeComyn said: "I am really overwhelmed – we always hoped for a high profile unveiling for the statue of Major Frank Foley, but we never imagined it would be a member of the Royal Family so we are really pleased that the Duke of Cambridge is coming.
"The statue has now been through the foundry and we are putting the final touches getting him sat down on his bench. We started work on the statue in January so it has been a long time coming. This is my first major bronze commissioning.
"We are definitely looking forward to the statue unveiling. It has been a long ride so it will be nice to get the statue in place. Frank Foley deserves a high profile unveiling like this so recognition from the Royal Family is brilliant.
"This will be a real boost for the memory of Frank Foley."
The design is a life-size replica of Major Foley who stood at 5ft 3ins. It features him sitting on a park bench dressed in a suit, replicating how he would look in the 1930s as a spy.
He is feeding a bird, symbolising freedom and the people he helped, with a briefcase hinting at his MI6 work.
The Duke of Cambridge will also visit the University of Birmingham, where he will attend the first National SkillForce Prince William Award Graduation Ceremony, before heading to the Acorns Children's Hospice in Selly Oak.
