CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Queen Charlotte statue is back at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. For about a month now, it's been at the main passenger terminal, greeting guests as they check in their bags and line up for security.
However, some on social media claim the way the statue is placed has a different meaning.
This claim comes from Reddit, and the post has more than 40 comments and almost one hundred shares.
It questions whether this statue actually depicts the “ghost” of Queen Charlotte, because the way her body is posed resembles an apparition flying through the air.
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
No, the statue of Queen Charlotte does not depict a flying ghost, but rather she is posed leaning backward, as if pushed by a gust of wind.
WHAT WE FOUND
First, a little history lesson. According to the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the Queen Charlotte statue was dedicated to the airport in 1990 by the Queen Table, a private group.
It was then moved in 2013 because of a years-long construction project at the airport and placed in a less visible spot. This October it was moved again to the terminal lobby, now known as the queen’s court.
Kaskey has been quoted saying he made her lean backward in the wind because it seemed appropriate for an airport, and the column sets her as a stationary weather vane. The crown in her hand is counterbalanced with a backward motion as a welcome sign to pedestrians.
The Arts & Science Council -- which manages the public art programs for the city, Mecklenburg County and Charlotte Douglas International Airport -- said it contracted Kaskey for the design, fabrication and installation of a new plinth for the sculpture to go inside the terminal.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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