Seven incredible things you never knew about the London Eye

There's more to this world famous attraction than meets the eye...
Regal views: The London Eye has a royal capsule to honour Queen Elizabeth II
Getty Images
Luke Abrahams6 April 2018

Hundreds of thousands of Londoners and tourists alike line the banks of the Thames for a chance to get inside a capsule for a whizz around the capital London Eye style.

Whether you love it or hate it, we thought we'd uncover a few unknown facts about the 443ft high structure. From superstitious numbering to its several names, here are seven incredible things you never knew about the Millennium Wheel.

It was not the first big wheel in London

Contrary to popular belief, the Eye wasn't London's first big wheel. Years before it took up residence on the Southbank, a 40-car ferris wheel simply named The Great Wheel, used to grace the city skyline in Earl's Court. Modelled on the original Ferris Wheel which hailed from Chicago, the Great Wheel was built especially for the Empire of India Exhibition in 1895. It was a staggering 94 metres high (308ft) and 82.3m (270ft) in diameter and during its 11 year lifespan, carried over 2.5 million passengers.

The Eye shouldn't still be here

As you might already know, the attraction was built especially for the Millennium, just like the dome. But let's not discuss that disaster. Just like Paris's Eiffel Tower, the Eye was built as a temporary structure, planned to stand for no longer than five years on the banks of the River Thames. Because of its financial success, Lambeth Council granted the Eye a permanent licence.

Not all were thrilled about this though. Unhappy, the Southbank Centre filed a dispute against the London Eye because one of the struts hovers over a bit of concrete it owns. After a lengthy legal battle, a lease agreement between both parties was finally agreed in February 2006 ensuring the structure's survival. The Eye just needs to pay The Southbank 500k a year. Not such a bad thing given it supports the centre's comprehensive annual arts programme.

It's a very sore loser

When it was first built back in 1999, the towering thing was actually the world's tallest Ferris wheel. Of course, many other cities got jealous and decided to build their own versions pushing our dear Eye to the back of the queue. Thanks to the Star of Nanchang, the Singapore Flyer and Las Vegas's High Roller, the Eye is now the fourth tallest Ferris wheel on the planet. If that wasn't already harsh enough, the London icon also lost its title as the city's highest public viewing point to the Shard's 245m (804ft) observation deck in 2013.

In an attempt to beef up its image, the Eye's marketing team like to tell all those who visit it that it is actually the world's 'tallest cantilevered observation wheel'. What does this mean? Unlike your traditional Ferris wheel, the London Eye is actually supported by an A-frame on one side, and the carriages don't hang below, they're placed outside the wheel's metal rim and righted by motors. Confusing, but true.

Last minute fun fact: the circumference of the Eye is exactly 1,392 feet. If it were not a wheel, it would actually be taller than its arch rival, the Shard. We're just trying to help...

It has five names

We just call it the Eye, but depending on the sponsor or the present owner, the mammoth wheel has also been known as the British Airways London Eye, the Merlin Entertainments London Eye, the EDF Energy London Eye, and by its present name, the Coca-Cola London Eye. Or you could just call it the Millennium Wheel?

The Eye is popular. Very popular

On average, the London Eye receives more visitors per year than the Taj Mahal and the Great Pyramids of Giza combined. A staggering 3.75 million people hop into one of the wheel's 32 pods, making it the most popular paid-for tourist attraction in the entire country.

It has a royal capsule

If you're a fan of all things Royal, you'll be pleased to know that one of the passenger capsules was named the Coronation Capsule to mark the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. It's the big red one, just in case you were wondering.

The Eye is superstitious

There are 32 capsules (each one representing one of London's boroughs) on the London Eye, numbered one to 33. For superstitious reasons, there is no capsule numbered 13.

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