New Monument Honoring Former Queen Elizabeth Will Be Unveiled on What Would Have Been Her 100th Birthday
Royal fans will have to wait until 2026 to see the statue.
A monument honoring the life and legacy of the late Queen Elizabeth is scheduled to be unveiled in London on what would have been the iconic royal's 100th birthday.
According to a new report from the Daily Mirror, the sculpture will live in St. James’s Park in London to commemorate the former matriarch's centennial year. News of the new monument, which will not be erected until 2016, is part of the previously established plans for both a permanent monument and a national legacy program—both in honor of the former Queen of England.
A special committee was formed after the Queen's death, tasked with creating the monument and program that would honor the monarch.
“It is an honor to be asked to chair the Queen Elizabeth memorial committee,” Lord Robin Janvrin, the late Queen’s former private secretary, said in 2023, when the committee was formed. Janvrin and the committee worked with the U.K. government and the Royal Household to create a monument literally fit for a queen.
“It will be a unique challenge to try to capture for future generations Her late Majesty’s extraordinary contribution to our national life throughout her very long reign," he added.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on March 13, 2015.
Queen Elizabeth passed away on Sept. 8, 2022, at 96 years old and after a historic 70 years and 214 days on the throne.
An announcement of both "the sculpture and nature of the historic piece will be announced this weekend to coincide with the second anniversary of the Queen’s death," the publication noted.
Royals and those who used to work with and knew the late queen are already paying both subtle and obvious tributes to the royal ahead of the two-year anniversary of her passing. Recently, her son, King Charles, paid a touching sartorial tribute to his late mother by partnering with eco-friendly label Vin + Omi to offer a limited edition run of 100 scarves inspired by his mom's colorful sense of style.
The £85 silk design, created by Vin Cara and Omi Ong, is sold exclusively in The King's Sandringham estate gift shop and features a bold yellow, blue, pink and green floral pattern.
Queen Elizabeth wearing a headscarf.
A new book released earlier this year has also detailed the exact moment King Charles found out his mother had passed away.
According to the biography The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy, the soon-to-be king was picking mushrooms on the grounds of his Birkhall estate when he was summoned to Balmoral.
At the time, Charles was driving the Land Rover and racing to make it to the Queen’s bedside as she drew her last breath—but he wasn’t able to make it in time.
According to the book, the new King was asked to pull over and was told Sir Edward was on the phone. “The new monarch knew exactly what was coming next,” Hardman writes in an excerpt that was previously published by The Daily Mail. “He had just turned off the B976 onto the back drive of the estate when, at the age of 73, he was addressed as ‘Your Majesty’ for the first time. No further explanation was needed.”
