Memorial to Elizabeth II, London

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Elizabeth II memorial
Memorial to Elizabeth II, London
Interactive map of Elizabeth II memorial
Location St James's Park
Coordinates 51°30′09″N0°08′07″W / 51.50262°N 0.13536°W / 51.50262; -0.13536
Designer Foster + Partners
TypeMemorial
Dedicated to Elizabeth II
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

A planned memorial to Queen Elizabeth II is to be built in St James's Park in central London.

Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022 and the plans for the memorial were announced shortly before the second anniversary of her death in 2024. [1]

It will involve statues of the Queen and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Marlborough Gate overlooking The Mall, both by Martin Jennings. There will also be a smaller sculpture of the Queen by Karen Newman on Birdcage Walk. [2] [3]

The location has been chosen for its proximity to Buckingham Palace and The Mall and to facilitate the large numbers of visitors and tourists that the area is associated with. [4]

A contest for the statue design was launched in late 2024. [5] The shortlist of design teams for the memorial was announced in February 2025. [6] The design team led by Foster + Partners was announced as the winner on 24 June 2025. [7] The final design will be announced in the spring of 2026 to coincide with the centenary of Elizabeth's birth. [6]

Design

The shortlisted design teams for the memorial were: [6]

The Foster + Partners team was announced as the winner on 24 June 2025. A translucent cast-glass bridge, inspired by the Queen's wedding tiara, the Queen Mary Fringe tiara, will replace the existing Blue Bridge. Statues of the Queen and Prince Philip will stand in a new civic space named Queen Elizabeth II Place at Marlborough Gate. A separate statue of the Queen will be located on Birdcage Walk. [3] Other features will include a wind sculpture by Yinka Shonibare, a "communities of the UK" garden, Commonwealth garden, and a Prince Philip Gate garden. [7] [8] [9]

Martin Jennings was announced as the designer for the Queen's statue overlooking The Mall in September 2025. [10] Although initial illustrations of the statue had shown the Queen on a horse, in January 2026 Jennings confirmed she would be standing. [2] [3] At the same time Karen Newman was announced as designer for the smaller statue on Birdcage Walk. [2] [3]

References

  1. ↑ Coughlan, Sean (6 September 2024). "Queen Elizabeth's memorial to be close to Palace". BBC News. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 Coughlan, Sean (23 January 2026). "Queen Elizabeth II statue will be standing and not on horseback". BBC News. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Renowned sculptor Karen Newman joins the national Queen Elizabeth II Memorial project". GOV.UK. 23 January 2026. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  4. ↑ "Queen Elizabeth II to be honoured with monument in touching location - details". HELLO!. 6 September 2024. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  5. ↑ Pitcher, Greg (9 September 2024). "Queen Elizabeth memorial design contest to launch this year". Architects' Journal. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 "Shortlist Of Design Teams Announced For National Memorial For Queen Elizabeth II". Gov.uk . Retrieved 26 February 2025.
  7. 1 2 "Foster + Partners to design national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II". GOV.UK. 24 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  8. ↑ Elston, Laura (24 June 2025). "Queen Elizabeth memorial to feature Prince Phillip[sic] tribute and translucent bridge". The Independent. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  9. ↑ Davies, Caroline (24 June 2025). "Translucent bridge to form centrepiece of national memorial to Elizabeth II". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  10. ↑ Davies, Maia (20 September 2025). "Queen statue will show grandeur and dignity, sculptor says". BBC News. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
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