Major changes have been announced to the national memorial
honouring the late Queen Elizabeth II, with planners confirming the
main statue will show the monarch standing rather than on
horseback.
The memorial, which will be built in St James’s Park in central
London near Buckingham Palace, will feature three statues,
commemorative gardens and a bridge with a tiara-inspired glass
balustrade.
Earlier illustrations had depicted the Queen riding a horse,
reflecting her lifelong love of equestrianism. However, the
memorial committee and the Cabinet Office have now confirmed that
the final design will instead portray her standing.
The showcase statue, located beside The Mall near Marlborough
Gate, will be created by sculptor Martin Jennings. He said the
decision followed careful research.
“After careful thought, my design will emphasise her role as
head of state and proudly follows a sculptural tradition that shows
kings and queens from the House of Windsor in a standing position,”
he said.
Officials stressed that the earlier horse-riding images were
produced only to demonstrate scale, layout and location, and were
never intended to represent the final design.
The statue will be situated close to existing memorials to the
Queen’s parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, both of whom
are shown standing in formal robes.
A statue of Prince Philip will also be placed nearby.
The committee has also announced that a second, smaller
sculpture will be created by artist Karen Newman, who previously
worked as a wax sculptor at Madame Tussauds. Among her past work
are likenesses of Prince Philip, former prime minister Sir Tony
Blair, actor Charles Dance and musician Roger Daltrey, as well as
memorials to Second World War heroines Noor Inayat Khan and
Violette Szabo.
Newman said it was “a great honour” to be involved in the
project.
“She was an iconic and unifying figure in our national story. I
am very much looking forward to portraying the strong and complex
personality of our late Queen,” she said.
The overall memorial design is being led by architect Lord
Norman Foster, who said Newman’s “talent and sensitivity will bring
a profound sense of dignity to the work”.
King Charles has been kept informed of the plans and consulted
on developments. The final design is expected to be made public in
April 2026, to coincide with the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II’s
birth.
The project is expected to cost between £23 million and £46
million. The proposed budget has drawn criticism from the
anti-monarchy group Republic, which has argued that the royal
family, rather than the government, should fund the monument.
Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022, becoming the longest-reigning
monarch in British history.
