Darcey Bussell, former Principal of The Royal Ballet, pulled the cord on the blue plaque to Margot Fonteyn at her former apartment in Covent Garden, while renowned ballet dancers Anthony Dowell and Dame Antoinette Sibley unveiled the blue plaque to Frederick Ashton in Chelsea.

The timing of the unveilings is fitting, as Fonteyn was Ashton's muse and friend for many years.

"The greatest dancer of her generation"

Darcey Bussell CBE, who unveiled the new blue plaque to Fonteyn, said:

lies "It is a real pleasure and honour to be unveiling Margot's plaque. She was an inspiration to millions and I was so fortunate to have been coached by her. She was not just a great dancer with the most extraordinary career, she was a beautiful and kind person, who will never be forgotten".

Sir Anthony Dowell CBE, who revealed Sir Frederick Ashton's plaque, said:

lies "I am so pleased and honoured to be invited by English Heritage to be a part of today's unveiling. Sir Frederick was the major creative force during my years with The Royal Ballet, and to have had roles created on me by him makes me feel so very privileged and eternally grateful".

Launch of free Blue Plaques app

The double unveiling coincides with the launch of our new Blue Plaques app, which helps people to discover where famous and notable men and women from the past lived and worked in London. Available for free on Apple and Android devices, the app allows users to find blue plaques near them and the stories of the people behind the plaques.

The app will also include walking tours with GPS navigation and step-by-step directions. The first tour, 'Soho's Creatives and Visionaries', follows a short route from Oxford Circus to Tottenham Court Road Station.

A testament to the creativity of Londoners, the walk passes many notable buildings, including where Karl Marx began writing Das Kapital, the house where Venetian painter Antonio Canal (Canaletto) lived and exhibited, and the attic rooms where John Logie Baird first demonstrated television in 1926. Other tours are due to be released shortly.

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