Memorial to Elizabeth II, London
A planned memorial to Queen Elizabeth II is to be built in St James's Park in central London.
Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022 and the plans for the memorial were announced shortly before the second anniversary of her death in 2024.
It will involve statues of the Queen and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Marlborough Gate overlooking The Mall, both by Martin Jennings. There will also be a smaller sculpture of the Queen by Karen Newman on Birdcage Walk.
The location has been chosen for its proximity to Buckingham Palace and The Mall and to facilitate the large numbers of visitors and tourists that the area is associated with.
A contest for the statue design was launched in late 2024. The shortlist of design teams for the memorial was announced in February 2025. The design team led by Foster + Partners was announced as the winner on 24 June 2025. The final design will be announced in the spring of 2026 to coincide with the centenary of Elizabeth's birth.
Design
The shortlisted design teams for the memorial were:- Foster + Partners with Yinka Shonibare and Michel Desvigne Paysagiste
- Heatherwick Studio with Halima Cassell, MRG Studio, Webb Yates and Arup
- J&L Gibbons with Michael Levine RDI, William Matthews Associates, Structure Workshop and Arup
- Tom Stuart-Smith with Jamie Fobert Architects, Adam Lowe and Structure Workshop
- WilkinsonEyre with Lisa Vandy and Fiona Clark, Andy Sturgeon Design, Atelier One and Hilson Moran
Martin Jennings was announced as the designer for the Queen's statue overlooking The Mall in September 2025. Although initial illustrations of the statue had shown the Queen on a horse, in January 2026 Jennings confirmed she would be standing. At the same time Karen Newman was announced as designer for the smaller statue on Birdcage Walk.