Nearly a year after her death, the formation of the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee to plan a permanent tribute to the late queen has been announced.
The Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden announced that the work is now under way on a project focused on “designing a fitting tribute to her legacy of service to our nation and the Commonwealth,” which will be unveiled in 2026, the centennial year of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee is independent from the government and will come up with ideas for a permanent memorial as well as a legacy programme to encourage UK citizens to celebrate her century of service.
The committee is supported by the Royal Household and the UK Government, with the government discussing funding options as proposals develop.
The committee is chaired by Elizabeth II’s former Private Secretary, Lord Janvrin, and will be composed of experts from around the UK and those who worked with Elizabeth II to ensure that any memorial aligns with the late Queen’s life’s work and areas of interest. Public engagement will also be factored into a final memorial tribute.
Speaking of his appointment, Lord Janvrin said that he was honoured to have been asked to head the committee, noting that “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.”
Elizabeth II died on 8 September 2022 at Balmoral Castle.
Currently, use of Elizabeth II’s name in memorials and tributes have been curtailed by the government. Cabinet Office guidelines issued stated that permission may be rarely granted to “preserve the rarity of the honour,” and may only be granted in cases of strong royal connections.
King Charles III granted the Le Touquet-Paris-Plage International Airport the rights to add ‘Elizabeth II’ to the start of its name in August 2023 after they had requested, six days after her death, to change it to reflect her “exceptional life.”
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