NOOR INAYAT KHAN

Location: Gordon Square Gardens, London
Artist: Karen Newman

Noor Inayat Khan (1914-1944) was not what one would expect of a British spy. She was a princess, having been born into royalty in India; a Muslim, whose father was a Sufi preacher; a writer and a musician. But she was exactly what Britain’s military intelligence needed in 1943, becoming the first woman radio operator to be sent to occupied Paris.

The sculpture was created by a British-born sculptor Karen Newman, and has been described as a tribute to a young Muslim woman who fought against racism and oppression. On 8 November 2012, The Princess Royal unveiled the memorial at a moving ceremony attended by over 450 people.