( dpa ) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel joined the ranks of prominent global leaders Tuesday at Madame Tussauds in London, where her wax figure stands only yards way from that of US President George W Bush in the "political leaders' zone."
The 53-year-old chancellor's proximity to the US president was dictated by the fact that both are currently in power, a spokeswoman for Madame Tussauds explained.
However, Merkel has the special merit of being the first female politician to be unveiled at the London attraction since 1998, and only the fifth since former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher was cast in wax in 1975.
Such prominent leaders as India's Indira Ghandi and the late Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan have since been added.
"We are more than pleased to be launching German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Forbes magazine has voted her as the most powerful woman in the world, so it makes sense for the figure to have a prominent place in the Political Leaders' Zone of our attraction," a statement by Madame Tussauds said.