Celebrating Christina Smith, OBE

Christina Smith – former Covent Garden entrepreneur, philanthropist, property developer and landlord – has died at the age of 87.

Christina, affectionately known as the ‘Queen of Covent Garden’, was a founder member of Covent Garden Area Trust and played a pivotal role in the preservation and promotion of Covent Garden over a number of years. She is one of a few key figures who are largely responsible for how the area looks and feels today.

You can still visit many of the buildings that Christina owned or traded from on Neal Street and Earlham Street, including the Tea House. Find out more about her life and work here.

Christina was born in London in 1934, the second of three children of
Ronald and Maud Smith. She will be greatly missed, but her legacy lives on.