Madame Tussauds

For Christmas, mum gave me the treat of being able to go to Madame Tussaud's. This was in fact far cooler than I expected it to be, and far larger too! There were sections for everything you could think of, celebrities, the royal family, historical figures, famous sports figures (they even had a couple of people from the All Blacks!) and political figures.

It began with the celebrities!

Emma Watson and Colin Firth were the first ones that caught my eye

Then they had some more acting greats, including Johnny Depp, Morgan Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch (Not only Sherlock Holmes but also the voice of Smaug!!) 

 

Audrey Hepburn was one of my other favorites

Then some classics, including Charlie Chaplin and 007.

Alfred Hitchcock featured as the last celebrety before it 

was onto the historical figures!

Then onto politics and world leaders 

Next came the aptly named 'Chamber of Horrors' which was one of the original parts of Madame Tussauds. Her life was in fact far more interesting than I ever imagined. When she was seventeen she became the tutor of King Louis XVI's sister until the French Revolution where, to keep herself alive and in favor she was forced to make death masks of executed aristocrats. She then fled to England and continued her work, using her wax figures as a type of early newspaper, providing news on historical figures and bringing them to life for the common people.

Inside the Chamber of Horrors lay this guillotine, the blade is the one that was used to execute Marie Antoinette.

 

There was then an interesting section on the history of Madame Tussaud and some of her original documents, tickets, birth certificates etc.

 Lastly, there was an awesome ride that took you through the history of England, from medieval to modern day. It sped us past Shakespeare, through the plague, the fire of London and even the rebuilding of St. Paul's Cathedral. 

It also took us through war-torn London during the Blitz, complete with sound-effects. It was the highlight of the visit for me!