The planned national memorial for Queen Elizabeth II in St James’s Park has appointed a sculptor to create the likeness of the late Queen: Martin Jennings.
Many have already seen some of Jennings’ work, as he is known for creating a bust of the Queen Mother in St Paul’s Cathedral and the first crowned coinage portrait of Charles III, as well as the bust of Mary Seacole in London’s St Thomas’ Hospital, and the ‘Women of Steel’ in Sheffield.
Over the summer, Foster + Partners were chosen as the firm to create the overall memorial, winning with a design that features a glass bridge – inspired by the Queen Mary Fringe tiara worn by the late Queen on her wedding day. These elements will be accompanied by an artistic embodiment of the longest-reigning Monarch.
The sculptor tole PA News that he was ‘appointed more on the basis of my past work than in response to a particular design’, and that the design is still in its early phases, to be informed by discussion.
‘Intentionally it was planned that there would be discussions about how to represent her,’ he said. ‘I will be going through a period of listening – not only to invested organisations and individuals, but also taking the temperature of how the populace at large might want to see this representation.’
A recommendation for the final sculpture will be put to The King and the Prime Minister next year, alongside proposals for the wider memorial site.
The sculptor noted the final statue should reflect both the longevity of the Queen’s reign and the contemporary moment in which it is being created.
Jennings reflected on precedents such as the Victoria Memorial directly outside Buckingham Palace and the George VI and Queen Elizabeth memorial on The Mall; but he also emphasised his wish to create something distinctly modern: ‘I would like to make something that has clearly been made now. I don’t want to make something that could be mistaken as having been put up 150 years ago or even 50 years ago.’
Chair of the memorial committee, Robin Janvrin said: ‘On behalf of the committee, I am delighted that we have selected Martin Jennings to create the Queen Elizabeth [II] sculpture. We felt he had a very sensitive understanding of the significance of this unique commission and we were impressed by Martin’s previous work and his ability to capture the essence of character in public works of art. We look forward to working with Martin and the Foster + Partners team in the months ahead.’
The final design will be unveiled next year, before construction begins on what is set to become one of the UK’s most significant new memorials.
