Tag: national memorial

Final Recommendations for the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II announced

Announcement coincides with the centenary of her birth

  • Permanent memorial in central London to include statues of Queen Elizabeth in Garter robes and Prince Philip, The late Duke of Edinburgh, in Naval uniform.
  • A new charity, The Queen Elizabeth Trust, and a Digital Memorial are also launched today.
  • Prime Minister says that Elizabeth II devoted her life to public service during her extraordinary reign. 

The recommendations made by the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee have been announced today [21 April], including the masterplan for a permanent memorial in St James’s Park, London, a new charitable trust for regenerating community assets across the United Kingdom, and an online Digital Memorial to allow people to submit their own memories of the late Queen.

Today [21 April] Their Majesties The King and Queen, other Members of the Royal Family and the Prime Minister will view the designs and other elements of the memorial at an event at the British Museum in London, to coincide with the hundredth anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s birth.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “As our longest‑serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II devoted her life to public service. The nation will commemorate her extraordinary reign with a memorial that offers a place of reflection for generations to come.“

The permanent memorial park, designed by Foster + Partners in collaboration with Michel Desvigne Paysagiste, commemorates Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and her lifelong commitment to public service.

It features a new standing statue of Queen Elizabeth overlooking The Mall at Marlborough Gate, close to Buckingham Palace. The statue, to be sculpted in bronze by acclaimed sculptor Martin Jennings, will show Her Majesty in an early stage of her reign dressed in the robes of the Order of the Garter, using the famous painting by Pietro Annigoni as an inspiration.

Mr Jennings will also sculpt a nearby statue of Prince Philip, the longest-serving consort, at a similar age wearing a uniform of Admiral-of-the-Fleet. His statue will be located close to Queen Elizabeth’s, in recognition of the support he gave her during her 70-year reign. The appearance of both statues will be further refined during the sculpting process.

The permanent memorial will also feature: a new cast-glass bridge inspired by Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara, which was worn by Queen Elizabeth on her wedding day; a bust of Her Majesty in her later years by sculptor Karen Newman; and The Commonwealth Wind Sculpture, a new abstract work by Yinka Shonibare.

The design also includes gardens dedicated to the Commonwealth and to the nations of the United Kingdom, creating spaces for relaxation and reflection. The memorial has been developed in consultation with the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee following a design competition held last year.

A new UK-wide independent charity, The Queen Elizabeth Trust, has also been established on the occasion of the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II’s birth to honour her lifelong commitment to public service. His Majesty The King has accepted the Royal Patronage of the Trust, which will bring the late Queen’s values to life for present and future generations.

Inspired by the words “everyone is our neighbour”, shared by Queen Elizabeth in a speech to mark her twenty-first birthday, the Trust will work hand in hand with communities, providing funding and targeted support to restore and sustain spaces that will thrive long into the future. The Trust’s Chair is Sir Damon Buffini, who currently serves as Chair of the Royal National Theatre and Deputy Chair of the BBC Board.

The Trust will support places at the heart of local life such as community centres and green spaces. To ensure the Trust can have the widest positive impact, the Government is providing a one-off £40 million endowment. This provides the initial funding needed to support local projects of public value and will act as a catalyst for future fundraising. 

Today also marks the launch of The Queen Elizabeth Digital Memorial, which will digitise Court Circular records and bring them to life online alongside materials from museums, archives and the media to create a record of Elizabeth II’s public life.

It will map the key events from her reign and allow people from across the world to contribute their own memories and images of Her late Majesty to this historic record.

The Memorial Committee is keen for everyone to submit their memories of Elizabeth II and tag them to events and locations on the site. Notable public figures have already provided memories, including Tom Daley, Dame Tracey Emin, Baroness Valerie Amos, and others.

Models of the permanent memorial and details of the Queen Elizabeth Trust and the Digital Memorial will also be displayed at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, the Millennium Centre in Cardiff and Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland on 24 April to allow people from across the UK to view the details. 

Chair of the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee Lord Janvrin said: “Queen Elizabeth was admired around the world for her quiet leadership through times of great change – driven by her common sense, optimism and strong sense of duty.  Our task has been to recommend a memorial capturing her role, her personality and what she meant to so many of us – whilst being of public benefit which was so important to her.

“We hope the physical Memorial will enhance a most beautiful space in the heart of our capital for people to meet, relax and reflect, whilst the new Queen Elizabeth Trust aims to benefit local communities in every part of the United Kingdom.

“The Digital Memorial will allow people across the country, the Commonwealth and beyond to share their memories of the late Queen to build a living archive of her reign for future generations.”

Founder and Executive Chairman of Foster + Partners Lord Foster said: “The Queen’s reign encompassed periods of significant change – socially and technologically – which she negotiated with incredible composure and stability.

“The memorial reaches across all ages and interests – and communicates the common values that Her Majesty promoted. With a serene and contemplative atmosphere, there will be opportunities to rediscover – or perhaps for some to discover – the legacy of Her Majesty.”

Interim Chief Executive of the Queen Elizabeth Trust Claire Whitaker CBE said: “I am delighted to be part of the Queen Elizabeth Trust, a charity which aims to make a lasting difference in communities across the UK.

“Its focus on working hand in hand with people to renew and sustain shared spaces reflects what we’ve heard from local groups across the four nations: that these places work best when they are shaped by and for the communities they serve.

” I am looking forward to seeing this work come to life over the coming months, and to supporting inclusive, revitalised spaces which bring people  together for years to come.”

In addition to this Memorial for the whole United Kingdom, the UK Government has allocated funding for memorial projects in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee was established in 2023 to develop plans for the memorial. It has consulted experts in arts, history and heritage and other stakeholders from across the United Kingdom. His Majesty The King has been sighted throughout the process and the Committee’s proposals were approved by the Prime Minister in April 2026.

Sculptor appointed for UK National Memorial to Queen Elizabeth II

British sculptor Martin Jennings has been appointed to create the sculpture of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for the UK’s national memorial in St James’s Park

  • Renowned British sculptor Martin Jennings has been selected to create the new statue of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
  • The St James’ Park sculpture will be a key element of the UK’s national memorial for The late Queen, located on the Mall at Marlborough Gate.
  • Jennings will work with the design team led by Foster + Partners to develop final design proposals for His Majesty The King and the Prime Minister.

British sculptor Martin Jennings has been appointed to create the sculpture of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for the UK’s national memorial in St James’s Park in London.

Millions of Brits will already have seen Jennings’ work, as he’s celebrated for creating a bust of the Queen Mother in St Paul’s Cathedral and the first crowned coinage portrait of King Charles III.

He has also crafted statues of Philip Larkin in Hull, Mary Seacole in London’s St Thomas’ Hospital, and the ‘Women of Steel’ in Sheffield.

The sculptor, appointed by Foster + Partners in consultation with the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, is tasked with creating an enduring national landmark that commemorates the UK’s longest-reigning monarch.

A recommendation for the final design will be put to His Majesty The King and the Prime Minister next year, alongside proposals for the wider memorial site.

Committee Chair Robin Janvrin said: “On behalf of the Committee I am delighted that we have selected Martin Jennings to create the Queen Elizabeth sculpture.

“We felt he had a very sensitive understanding of the significance of this unique commission and we were impressed by  Martin’s previous work and his ability to capture the essence of character in public works of art. 

“We look forward to working with Martin and the Foster + Partners team in the months ahead.”

Founder and Executive Chairman of Foster + Partners, Norman Foster, said: “I am pleased to welcome Martin Jennings to the Queen Elizabeth Memorial team.

“His work has a sensitivity and humanity that align well with the fundamental spirit of the project, and I look forward to working together with Martin and the rest of the team in the coming months.”

Martin Jennings said: “I am elated to have been invited to make the sculpture of Queen Elizabeth. She was loved and admired across the globe for her steadfast devotion to duty, borne with grace, decency and restraint. 

“The monument must not only reflect the grandeur of its setting but be an object of delight to its countless visitors in years to come. I look forward to working with Foster + Partners and the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee so that we can achieve this together.”

The appointment of Martin Jennings follows previous decisions to award Foster + Partners the project and to locate the memorial in St James’s Park, a site chosen for its rich Royal history and its personal connection to The late Queen.

The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee will continue to work closely with Martin Jennings and Foster + Partners to develop the final design recommendations.

D-DAY 77: Official opening of British Normandy Memorial

VETERANS AND FAMILIES OF THE NORMANDY FALLEN ARE INVITED TO WITNESS LONG-AWAITED HISTORIC MOMENT.

THE ENTIRE EVENT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO WATCH LIVE ON OUR HOMEPAGE FROM 10AM ON SUNDAY 6 JUNE, WITH THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE MEMORIAL COMMENCING AT 10.30AM

Normandy Veterans, their families and relatives of the fallen will join to mark the 77th anniversary of D-Day this morning (Sunday 6 June 2021) at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

Guests at the commemorative event, organised by the Normandy Memorial Trust, will watch a live broadcast of the official opening of the newly completed British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer, presided over by the British Ambassador to France, Lord Edward Llewellyn, accompanied by senior French guests.

As Covid-19 restrictions prevent travel to Normandy, the Trust and the Royal British Legion are together hosting this year’s commemorations in the UK, with an event which will also include coverage of the service of Remembrance at The Bayeux Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery and a Two Minute Silence at 11am.

It will be the first major commemorative event of the year at which Veterans from around the country will be invited to gather.

The British Normandy Memorial, designed by British architect Liam O’Connor, records the names of the 22,442 servicemen and women under British command who fell on D-Day and during the Battle of Normandy in the summer of 1944. Inscribed in stone, their names have never, until now, been brought together.

The official opening of the Memorial is the culmination of nearly six years of work by the Normandy Memorial Trust. Costing nearly £30 million pounds and funded both by the British government and private benefactors, the Memorial stands on a hillside overlooking “Gold Beach”, one of three beaches where British forces landed on the morning of 6 June 1944 to begin the liberation of Western Europe.

The construction of a national memorial in Normandy has been a long-held ambition of Normandy Veterans, frustrated that Britain alone among the main wartime allies did not have such a memorial.

The idea for the Memorial originated with the Trust’s Normandy Veteran Patron, George Batts MBE, Leg d’Hon (pictured above, left). It was taken up by many other Veterans, including the Trust’s Veteran Ambassador and Fundraiser, Harry Billinge, MBE, Leg d’Hon., (pictured above, right) who single-handedly raised tens of thousands of pounds in his home town of St Austell in Cornwall.

Now completed, the Memorial features the ‘D-Day Sculpture’ by British sculptor David Williams-Ellis, the D-Day Wall featuring the names of those who fell on D-Day itself and, on 160 stone columns, the names of those others who lost their lives between D-Day and the Liberation of Paris at the end of August 1944.

The site also includes a French Memorial, dedicated to the memory of French civilians who died during this time. In total, nearly 4,000 tonnes of stone have been used in the Memorial’s construction.

The Normandy Memorial Trust’s founder, the broadcaster Nicholas Witchell, said: “It is a matter of the greatest pride to the entire Trust team to have turned the dream of so many Normandy Veterans into a reality.

“This Memorial will stand as a permanent reminder to future generations of the sacrifice made by British forces in Normandy in the summer of 1944. As one of the inscriptions on the Memorial states: ‘They died so that Europe might be free.’”

The Trust’s Normandy Veteran Patron, George Batts MBE, Leg d’Hon., said: “Only those who were there on D-Day can truly know what it was like. We lost a lot of our mates on those beaches.

“Now, at long last, Britain has a fitting Memorial to them. I should like to express my deep gratitude to all those who’ve supported the Memorial and made its construction possible.”

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