A new statue of Queen Elizabeth II was revealed in England on what would have been her 98th birthday.
A seven-foot tall bronze memorial emulating the late monarch as a young woman was unveiled next to Oakham Library in the U.K. on Sunday, April 21. The statue depicted Elizabeth adorned in ceremonial robes with the George IV Diadem atop her head. The Order of the Garter sash was draped across her gown and one of her cherished corgis was at her feet.
“Queen Elizabeth II, 1926 – 2022. Erected as a tribute to her late Majesty through public subscription by Rutland people,” read a message engraved on the monument.
The Rutland City council shared a photo of the monument via Instagram on Monday, April 22. “A little piece of history was made in Rutland today as the first permanent memorial to Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was unveiled next to Oakham Library,” read the caption. “Hundreds of people gathered to see the statue revealed by Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland Dr Sarah Furness, Bishop of Peterborough Debbie Sellins and Alicia Kearns MP.”
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The Rutland City council continued: “There was music from Harrington School Band and Oakham School Band, as well as bagpipes and the National Anthem. The bronze statue of Britain’s much-loved and longest reigning monarch was created by Hywel Pratley and has been funded by generous donations from local businesses and members of the public. Make time to come and see the incredible sculpture, complete with bronze Corgi dogs designed by local children, next time you’re in Oakham.”
Pratley, 51, previously offered a glimpse of his creation in 2023 and included two additional corgis at the base of the statue for the final rendition.
“She was so indomitable right until the end,” he told The Telegraph at the time. “I hope what I’m achieving with the design is a sense of purpose and stability.”
Furness, meanwhile, told the outlet that she “wanted something that reflected Her Majesty as a Queen rather than as a person for posterity,” adding, “But we wanted to do something that reflected her warmth and humanity too.”
Royal Family Honors Queen Elizabeth II on Anniversary of Her Death
Elizabeth died in September 2022 at the age of 96 after a historic seven decades as reigning monarch. After her death, the queen’s former daughter-in-law Sarah Ferguson received her two corgis.
According to former royal staffer Grant Harrold, Elizabeth’s birthday was honored privately.
“They won’t publicly do anything. Privately, I have no doubt they’ll raise a toast to her in the evening,” he told Slingo via People on Sunday. “I’m sure the day will very much be spent reflecting on the late queen.”
Harrold, who served King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, from 2004 to 2011, added, “I can almost guarantee that if you were to go to Windsor Castle that day, it’s very likely there’ll be some flowers on the tomb that have been sent by the family members. Sometimes on royal anniversaries, flowers are sent to royal graves. It’s very possible there will be flowers on the tombstone.”
