Who does "my fair lady" refer to in "London bridge is falling down"?

Question

Who does "my fair lady" refer to in the rhyme "London bridge is falling down"?

Answer 1

It refers to Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine-

The meaning of the rhyme is obscure. Most obviously, it relates to the many difficulties experienced in bridging the River Thames: London's earlier bridges did indeed "wash away" before a bridge built of "stone so strong" was constructed. It has been suggested that the "fair lady" who is "locked up" is a reference to an old practice of burying a dead virgin in the foundations of the bridge to ensure its strength through magical means, although this more plausibly refers to Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. Intriguingly, the rhyme is not confined to England and variants exist in many other western and central European countries.-

Answer 2

"My fair lady" = the London bridge

London Bridge Is Falling Down - The Nursery Rhyme/Song

London Bridge has fallen down,
Fallen down, fallen down,
London Bridge has fallen down,
My fair Lady.

Build it up with wood and clay,
Wood and clay, wood and clay,
Build it up with wood and clay,
My fair Lady.

Wood and clay will wash away,
Wash away, wash away,
Wood and clay will wash away,
My fair Lady.

Build it up with bricks and mortar,
Bricks and mortar, bricks and mortar,
Build it up with bricks and mortar,
My fair Lady.

Bricks and mortar will not stay,
Will not stay, will not stay,
Bricks and mortar will not stay,
My fair Lady.

Build it up with iron and steel,
Iron and steel, iron and steel,
Build it up with iron and steel,
My fair Lady.

Iron and steel will bend and bow,
Bend and bow, bend and bow,
Iron and steel will bend and bow,
My fair Lady.

Build it up with silver and gold,
Silver and gold, silver and gold,
Build it up with silver and gold,
My fair Lady.

Silver and gold will be stolen away,
Stolen away, stolen away,
Silver and gold will be stolen away,
My fair Lady.

Set a man to watch all night,
Watch all night, watch all night

A bridge was first built near the current site by the Romans c. AD 80 and several wooden bridges were built on the site until replaced with a stone bridge in 1176. Peter Colechurch designed it. London Bridge was the only bridge from Kingston Bridge, twenty miles up river, to the sea. It took 33 years to build and had a road 20 feet wide and 300 yards long. The flow of the water was used to turn water wheels below the arches, first for grinding grain and, in 1580, to pump water into the city.

In 1209 the bridge had twenty arches, each sixty feet high and thirty feet wide, with twenty feet between each arch. There was a tower and a gate at the northern end of the bridge, and near the southern end of the bridge. Beyond the southern tower and gate there was a wooden drawbridge, there to prevent an invasion of London from Southwark.

In 1358 there were 138 shops on the bridge and houses and shops were three to seven stories high. The road across the bridge was about 12 feet wide. In the middle of the bridge was the chapel of St. Thomas Becket, the English Saint murdered in Westminster Abbey.

It was a scene of lavish celebrations and once a tourney was held there. Traitor's heads were displayed on spikes on the bridge. A famous example was the head of William Wallace, after he was captured by the English, hung, his genitals were cut off, disembowelled, has his intestines burned before his eyes (still alive at this point!), then he was beheaded

Living on London Bridge was hazardous. In 1212, a disaster occurred when a crowd of people were trapped on the bridge between two fires. Many were burned to death. Every so often, barges would break loose and crash into the bridge putting prows through walls of houses. Fire again struck the Bridge in 1623. This fire started when a maidservant left a pail of ashes under wooden stairs. Forty-three houses were destroyed and many of the shops were also burned and damaged. Soon the merchants began moving, as the bridge was getting dilapidated. In 1666 a fire broke out in the King Bakery in Pudding Lane. It swept through the city and onto the bridge. The foundations of the bridge were loosened and the fire had caused the stonework arches to weaken. The bridge was declared a public nuisance and on July 4th 1823. It was demolished and the New London Bridge, which we see today, was built by John Rennie 1824–34. The bridge was built 100 feet west of the Old Bridge.

Answer 3

well my g/f is pretty sure that like ring o' roses relates to the plague, London bridge refers to brewers droop, don't know who the fair lady would be.

Answer 4

no one in particular

♂♂

Answer 5

i think its the queen