The Government have accepted three recommendations from the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee to honour the extraordinary life and legacy of the late Queen. Queen Elizabeth dedicated 70 years of service to the nation, providing a sense of continuity through times of great change and forming a part of our national identity. Her ability to connect with those from all walks of life was strongly felt by the millions she met, and her contribution persists today in our memories, as well as the ongoing work of the many charities she supported. It is fitting that her legacy is commemorated in a way that reflects her exceptional contribution to public life. I am pleased to update the House on these plans on the centenary of Queen Elizabeth’s birth.
The committee’s recommendations include:
The proposed national memorial in St James’s Park, which commemorates Queen Elizabeth and her lifelong commitment to public service. It features a new standing statue of the late Queen overlooking the Mall at Marlborough gate, showing her at an early stage of her reign. This memorial will honour Britain’s longest-serving monarch in a way that will serve the nation for generations. It will be a place where people can come together to celebrate and honour Queen Elizabeth’s remarkable 70 years of service; a place where her values of public service continue to live on in public life.
Nearby will be a statue of Prince Philip, in recognition of the support he gave her during her reign as our longest-serving consort —both by sculptor Martin Jennings. The memorial will also include a new cast-glass bridge inspired by Queen Mary’s fringe tiara, which was worn by Queen Elizabeth on her wedding day; a bust of Her Majesty in her later years by sculptor Karen Newman; and the Commonwealth Wind Sculpture, a new abstract work by Yinka Shonibare. The design also includes gardens dedicated to the Commonwealth and to the nations of the United Kingdom, creating spaces for relaxation and reflection. This memorial will enhance St James’s Park as an inspiring public space.
A new UK-wide charity, Queen Elizabeth Trust, set up to administer a legacy programme in the late Queen’s name, which will be independent from the Government. Inspired by the words “everyone is our neighbour”, shared by Queen Elizabeth in a speech to mark her 21st birthday, the trust will work hand in hand with communities, providing funding and targeted support to restore and sustain spaces that will thrive long into the future. This charity will put the late Queen’s values to work, actively strengthening communities and empowering local people. The trust will be funded by an agreed £40 million endowment from the Government, creating a catalyst for the trust to raise further funds to maximise its impact over years to come. This is a unique opportunity to harness the legacy of the Queen to create positive and innovative change in communities across the UK.
The Queen Elizabeth digital memorial, a new website showcasing the late Queen’s life and legacy through a range of archive content and public memories. The site brings together newly digitised materials from archives and media collections, underpinned by listings from a newly digitised version of the Court Circular which maps every official engagement the Queen undertook during her reign. At the heart of the digital site is a public memory portal, inviting people from around the UK, the Commonwealth and the world to share their own memories of Queen Elizabeth. The Queen Elizabeth digital memorial is a living archive—one that will grow and develop over time, serving as both a place of commemoration and an enduring resource that carries her values forward, inspiring future generations to engage with her life and legacy.
A recommendations report, setting out the recommendations in detail, has been published today and I have deposited a copy of that report in the Libraries of both Houses in Parliament.
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