A final design has been chosen to remember Queen Elizabeth II in one of London’s iconic Royal Parks.
The winning design reflects the late Queen’s reign as one of continuity and change.
The new national memorial includes a replacement bridge across the St James’ Park lake inspired by her wedding tiara in 1947 and a new gate to remember her devoted husband and consort, Prince Philip.
The bridge offers views across the water to Buckingham Palace and is a major draw for tourists, but it’s far too small to accommodate the crowds that gather there every day.
Five finalists were put forward, and each design team has its own take on how to celebrate the reign of Britain’s longest-serving monarch.
They’d been tasked with finding a way to celebrate the late Queen’s life and develop a new space for reflection in the heart of the capital.
The winning concept, developed by a team from Foster + Partners, was chosen for how it balances “tradition and modernity, public duty and private faith, the United Kingdom and a global Commonwealth”.
It will have two gates, with the late Queen at one and Prince Philip at the other, as well as two gardens, the joining bridge and a “unifying path”.
A statue of Queen Elizabeth, which the Cabinet Office refers to as a “figurative sculpture”, will be situated in a prominent position on The Mall, but a sculptor has yet to be commissioned, so the designs for that remain unknown.
A sculptor is due to be announced later this year, and the statue will be placed at Marlborough Gate, right next to the famous processional avenue which runs from Buckingham Palace to Admiralty Arch.
The Chair of the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, Lord Robin Janvrin, who was a former Private Secretary to the late Queen said: “Foster + Partners’ ambitious and thoughtful masterplan will allow us and future generations to appreciate Queen Elizabeth’s life of service as she balanced continuity and change with strong values, common sense and optimism throughout her long reign.”
It’s referred to as a master plan, as the design will now be modified before the government commits to a final blueprint for the memorial.
Architect Norman Foster, the founder of Foster + Partners, which was awarded the winning bid, said it was “an honour and a privilege” to be chosen.
Lord Foster said: “At the heart of our masterplan is a translucent bridge symbolic of Her Majesty as a unifying force, bringing together nations, countries, the Commonwealth, charities and the armed forces.”
Previous estimated costs for the memorial ranged from £23-£46 million.
No new details about the cost of this winning design have been released, but given the government has committed to using public funds for the memorial, it has been fiercely criticised by campaigners from the pressure group Republic.
Pat McFadden, the Cabinet Office Minister, said the winning design was “a beautiful memorial” to Elizabeth II’s life and legacy. He said it would be “a space to reflect on and celebrate our longest reigning Monarch for centuries to come.”
This is the Talking Royals – our weekly podcast about the royal family, with ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship and Producer Lizzie Robinson…
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