Passersby left bamboozled by giant cardboard cutout of Queen Elizabeth at St James’s Park
Passersby were wondering if this was a Banksy artwork that was erected early yesterday morning.
The secret project was actually a giant cardboard cutout of the late Queen Elizabeth; It was a replica of the 3-meter bronze statue, which will be unveiled in 2028.
It will depict him wearing the robes of the Order of the Garter in the early stages of his 70-year reign.
A statue of Prince Philip of a similar age, wearing his Fleet Admiral uniform, will also be erected as part of the memorial service in St James’s Park in central London.
Admired by the replica yesterday, Lord Norman Foster, who oversaw the project, arrived in a limousine and watched through virtual reality glasses as the cutout was carried over Marlborough Gate.
The final statue, designed by Martin Jennings, will sit on a plinth at this spot overlooking the Mall, close to Buckingham Palace.
Inspired by Pietro Annigoni’s famous 1955 painting depicting the late Queen.
The monument will also feature a cast glass bridge inspired by Queen Mary’s fringed tiara, which Queen Elizabeth wore on her wedding day, and a bust of Her Majesty in her later years, created by sculptor Karen Newman.
A cardboard replica of Queen Elizabeth was hoisted above the Marlborough Gate on the Shopping Center early this morning
Lord Norman Foster watches the show with a virtual reality headset
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the King and Queen meet Lord Foster at a presentation on the memorial’s design
The statue will depict the late queen wearing the robes of the Order of the Garter in the early stages of her 70-year reign.
There will also be gardens dedicated to the Commonwealth and United Kingdom nations after Lord Foster’s team won a competition to design the space last year.
A passerby told the Daily Mail: ‘I honestly thought it was going to be Banksy, which is the only reason I stopped.
‘It was quite surreal to see such a tall cardboard cutout of the Queen at 6am.’
