Did the creator commit suicide?

The statue was created by Dutch sculptor Peter Scheemaker and funded by a public subscription of £893!

The idea was to have King William III dressed as a Roman Emperor, hence, no stirrups, and was unveiled on 4th of December 1734.

The reason why we have the statue is because King William was seen as "The Great Deliverer" from Roman Catholic ambitions. Contrary to popular belief, the sculptor did not commit suicide, but died in 1781 as a 90 year old man.

The reason why the statue was unveiled on 4th December as this was initially known as "Town Taking Day" to commemorate the taking of the town Citadel off the Catholic Governor by the Protestants

Where did the myth come from?

The myth of the sculptor killing himself pertains to William Day Keyworth, who had created sculptures of Wilberforce, Marvell and De La Pole. He was found with a single gunshot wound to the head, at his property off Spring Bank.