An Eleanor Cross once stood at Charing Cross where the Charles 1st statue now stands. Eleanor married Longshanks in 1254. When she died in Nottingham, Edward ( Longshanks) had her brought back to London in stages and built an Eleanor Cross at each place they stopped on the way, 12 places in all. The last place was a village in Westminster named Charing… and that’s how Charing Cross got it’s name
Charing Cross was named for Queen Eleanor – Chere Reine (Dear Queen) of the King