A major national memorial to Elizabeth II is beginning to take shape in the heart of London, with designs for a statue originally showed the late Queen on horseback. However the final design will now show her standing, in a move to keep with tradition for members of the House of Windsor.
Planned for St James’s Park, just steps away from Buckingham Palace, the memorial will be one of the most prominent tributes ever created for a British Sovereign.
An original design showing Elizabeth II on horseback.
The main statue, which is set to designed by Martin Jennings, will stand near Marlborough Gate, overlooking The Mall. Jennings, whose previous works include public monuments to George Orwell and the Queen Mother, confirmed that the Queen will be shown upright rather than mounted, despite her lifelong passion for horses.
According to the Cabinet Office, the earlier equestrian images were never intended as final designs but served only to illustrate the scale and location of the memorial.
Jennings noted that ‘after careful research and thought, my design for the Queen’s monument 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 standing position’.
An artists impression of the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial in St James’ Park in London.
The statue of the Queen will be joined by a companion figure of the late Duke of Edinburgh. Originally proposed as part of a new Prince Philip Gate on Bird Cage Walk, his statue will instead be positioned close to the Queen’s, symbolising the couple’s enduring partnership throughout her 70‑year reign.
Alongside the main monument, a second, smaller sculpture of the late Queen will be created by Karen Newman, an artist celebrated for her portrayals of Second World War heroines and her two decades as a sculptor at Madame Tussauds. During her time at Madame Tussauds, she crafted wax figures of Prince Philip, former Prime Ministers Harold Wilson and Sir Tony Blair, and icons including Stevie Wonder and Yoko Ono.
The Queen Mary Fringe tiara has inspired part of the design.
Newman’s sculpture will be situated on Bird Cage Walk, complementing the larger statue across the park. Speaking about her statue, she said it has been a ‘huge honour’ to be asked to contribute to the Memorial, noting the late Queen was an ‘iconic and unifying figure in our national story’ and is ‘looking forward to portraying the strong and complex personality of our late Queen’.
The memorial will also feature gardens dedicated to the Commonwealth and communities of the UK, and artistic installations celebrating the nations diversity. It will also see the replacement of the existing Blue Bridge in the park near Buckingham Palace which will be replaced with a cast-glass balustrade that is inspired by Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding tiara – Queen Mary Fringe tiara – which was also worn by Princess Beatrice for her own low-key nuptials in 2020.
Charles III has been kept closely informed of the plans and consulted throughout the design process. The final design for the main statue will be unveiled in April 2026, marking what would have been Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday.