In 1837, Hans Christian Anderson wrote a fairy tale about a mermaid who longed for the love a prince. The story has been retold in various media including a ballet at the Royal Theater in Copenhaugen. When the son of Carlsberg Brewery owner saw it, he asked the ballet star Ellen Price to pose for sculptor Edvard Eriksen. This statue along the Langelinie promenade at the water’s edge became iconic almost immediately after being unveiled in 1913.