Queen Elizabeth II statue will be standing and not on horseback

The commemoration committee was appointed by the late Queen Elizabeth II. He announced that the national monument to Queen Elizabeth II would include a standing statue, rather than on horseback as previously shown.

The monument, consisting of three statues and a crown-shaped glass balustrade for a bridge, will be built in St James’s Park, near Buckingham Palace, in central London.

It was announced that the designer of the second small statue was Karen Newman, who once made wax statues, including Prince Philip, at Madame Tussauds.

But in an update by the commemoration committee and the Cabinet Office, the main statue on The Mall will show Queen Elizabeth standing rather than riding a horse as shown in earlier images.

King Charles was briefed on the plans and consulted on developments; The final design will be unveiled to the public in April 2026, to coincide with the centenary of the late Queen’s birth.

However, Martin Jennings, the sculptor of the showcase statue on the Mall, explained that it will show the horse-riding monarch standing, not riding.

“After careful research and consideration, my design for the Queen’s monument will highlight her role as head of state and proudly follow the tradition of statues depicting standing kings and queens from the House of Windsor,” Jennings said.

The Cabinet Office said previous riding images were for illustrative purposes only to show size, scale and location rather than the final design.

The statue will be located not far from memorials to the late Queen’s parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and they are shown standing and wearing formal dresses.

Queen Elizabeth II, who died in 2022. The main statue of Elizabeth will be near the Marlborough Gate in St James’s Park, with a statue of her husband Prince Philip nearby.

The design includes a glass railing on the bridge over the lake, commemorative gardens, and a sculpture announced to be created by Karen Newman at another entrance to the park.

He painted artists such as Charles Dance and Roger Daltrey, and World War II heroes such as Noor Inayat Khan and Violette Szabo.

But he was also the maker of wax figures once displayed at Madame Tussauds; Among his models were the late Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, and former prime minister Sir Tony Blair.

Newman said it was a great honor to create the statue of the late Queen.

“She was an iconic and unifying figure in our national story. I look forward to depicting the powerful and complex personality of our late Queen,” the sculptor said.

Architect Lord Norman Foster, who led the design team, said her “talent and sensitivity will bring a deep sense of dignity to the work”.

The cost of the project, which has a budget of between £23 million and £46 million, was criticized by anti-monarchy group Republic, which said the royal family should pay for the monument rather than the government.