Major changes have been announced to the national memorial honouring the late Queen Elizabeth II, with planners confirming the main statue will show the monarch standing rather than on horseback.
The memorial, which will be built in St James’s Park in central London near Buckingham Palace, will feature three statues, commemorative gardens and a bridge with a tiara-inspired glass balustrade.
Earlier illustrations had depicted the Queen riding a horse, reflecting her lifelong love of equestrianism. However, the memorial committee and the Cabinet Office have now confirmed that the final design will instead portray her standing.
The showcase statue, located beside The Mall near Marlborough Gate, will be created by sculptor Martin Jennings. He said the decision followed careful research.
“After careful thought, my design 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 a standing position,” he said.
Officials stressed that the earlier horse-riding images were produced only to demonstrate scale, layout and location, and were never intended to represent the final design.
The statue will be situated close to existing memorials to the Queen’s parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, both of whom are shown standing in formal robes.
A statue of Prince Philip will also be placed nearby.
The committee has also announced that a second, smaller sculpture will be created by artist Karen Newman, who previously worked as a wax sculptor at Madame Tussauds. Among her past work are likenesses of Prince Philip, former prime minister Sir Tony Blair, actor Charles Dance and musician Roger Daltrey, as well as memorials to Second World War heroines Noor Inayat Khan and Violette Szabo.
Newman said it was “a great honour” to be involved in the project.
“She was an iconic and unifying figure in our national story. I am very much looking forward to portraying the strong and complex personality of our late Queen,” she said.
The overall memorial design is being led by architect Lord Norman Foster, who said Newman’s “talent and sensitivity will bring a profound sense of dignity to the work”.
King Charles has been kept informed of the plans and consulted on developments. The final design is expected to be made public in April 2026, to coincide with the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II’s birth.
The project is expected to cost between £23 million and £46 million. The proposed budget has drawn criticism from the anti-monarchy group Republic, which has argued that the royal family, rather than the government, should fund the monument.
Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022, becoming the longest-reigning monarch in British history.
