An historic area of England which contains one of the most unusual collection of royal artefacts in the world is about to get another bit of regal history. Rutland, home to Oakham Castle’s famous display of royal horseshoes, will soon have a sculpture of Queen Elizabeth II which will become the first statue in the ancient county.
This past week, The Lord Lieutenant of Rutland, Dr Sarah Furness, revealed plans to create a permanent memorial for the former Monarch, who passed away in September of 2022 after a 70 years reign.
The statue is expected to be seven feet tall and made of bronze. It will sit on top of a five feet tall plinth made of Clipsham limestone, for a monument that will reach a height of 12 feet.
The announcement of the new statue was made at Oakham Castle where, for centuries, all royal visitors who have passed by have left a horseshoe as a memento. Hundreds now line its walls.
During the press conference, The Lord Lieutenant also announced that the bronze casting will be created at Le Blanc foundry, in nearby Saxby, and that, while the exact number is not yet known, the total cost of the monument is expected to be around £100,000, for which donations have already been pouring in, including a £20,000 one from Oakham Town Council. All donations of £5,000 and more will be recorded at the base of the plinth, and donors will be invited to attend a reception.
The statue will be cast according to the design of sculptor Hywel Pratley, who created a model that also features a corgi lying at Her Majesty’s feet. A second corgi statue will be featured at the base of the limestone plinth, which children will be able to pat.
Dr Furness has also expressed her wish that the statue can be officially unveiled in time for the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing. Her Late Majesty died on September 8th 2022.
The Lord Lieutenant added: “We have no statues in Rutland, so it will be rather special to have a piece of public art. We felt very strongly about the Queen here in Rutland and we celebrated her Platinum Jubilee with everybody out having street parties, flags and bunting in June. When Her majesty passed a few months later, it was such a shock and I was inundated with phone calls and letters from people asking how we could do something”.
Mr Pratley was also interviewed and he said: “It is an enormous honour to produce a public sculpture, but to be of our late Queen is particularly special. Bronze is a wonderful medium to work in and it should last for many centuries, so this really will be a lasting memorial from the people of Rutland”.
This statue is expected to be the first of a long list of tributes that will be created to immortalise the memory of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch in British history.
