A statue of Queen Victoria was originally erected in front of the Passenger Jetty of Colombo Harbor and at the junction of York and Church Streets in 1897.

The statue was given a facelift ahead of the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in 2013 and was reinstalled facing Green Path.

The Ceylon Legislative Council, which met on June 22, 1897, passed a resolution stating that a statue of the Queen be erected on the island at the cost of the public revenue, and as a commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty's accession to the throne.

[6] This resolution was proposed by the Governor of British Ceylon and seconded by P. Coomaraswamy, the Tamil representative and it was taken as carried unanimously.

[7] A large number of state and military officials, religious sector representatives, MC members, and local elites participated.