Over two years since the nation bid farewell to Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-serving monarch, plans are afoot for a new statue to commemorate her remarkable and lasting legacy. The committee spearheading this ambitious project has declared that “nothing is off the table” in their quest to find the perfect tribute.
With a hefty £46 million budget at their disposal, the team behind the proposed St. James’ Park monument hinted that it “could include digital technology.” Baroness Amos, a member of the memorial committee and former leader of the House of Lords, shared with The Times: “We do not want to be prescriptive about this.”
“There are a set of guidelines and principles that we have set out. And we are then looking to those artists, those designers, to come up with the best ideas.”
“We want a memorial that is beautiful, that speaks to that legacy, but is also fit for the future,” added Amos.
Efforts to commemorate the legacy of the late Queen have been ongoing since her passing, with a committee led by her former private secretary, Lord Robin Janvrin, established around 18 months ago to honour her historic role in British history. The committee has travelled across the UK, seeking public opinion on how best to pay tribute to the Queen.
“Nothing is off the table,” stated Alex Holmes, deputy chief executive of The Diana Award and committee member. He expressed the committee’s interest in exploring how digital advancements, such as AI or augmented reality, could revolutionise tributes.
Final plans will require government discussion, and it is expected that King Charles and other key Royal family members will be consulted before any work commences. “I think it’s unlikely to end up being a sort of metal spike,” commented Anna Keay, esteemed historian and committee member, adding that the King’s taste in design is often underestimated.
The monument is scheduled for unveiling on April 21, 2026, which would have marked Queen Elizabeth’s 100th birthday.
“We’re really thinking about what’s going to best do justice to the subject matter, to the age, to the contribution that she made,” Keay remarked, emphasising the committee’s determination to “come up with something that’s really going to live up to the stature of the person that we’re celebrating.”
Design teams eager to take on this prestigious project have until 20th January to put forward their visions. The guidelines are clear: the winning design must not only “tell the story” of the late Queen’s illustrious reign through a blend of design, landscaping and placemaking but also harmonise with the “very historic landscape” and be “appropriate for the site”.
