King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Memorial
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother |
The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Memorial, situated between
Statue of King George VI
The statue of King George VI was sculpted in bronze by William McMillan, and depicts him in his naval uniform. The statue stands on a base of Portland stone.[1] The statue was unveiled by Elizabeth II in the presence of her mother and other senior members of the royal family.[2] The architect of the memorial was Louis de Soissons. It was feared that the location of the memorial would aesthetically disrupt The Mall, adding a further set of steps so near to the Duke of York Column, but it was positively received upon unveiling on 6 October 1955.[3]
The statue was designated a Grade II listed building on 9 January 1970.[4]
Statue of Queen Elizabeth
The statue of Queen Elizabeth was sculpted in bronze by Philip Jackson, and portrays her at the time that she was widowed, aged 51. The memorial to Queen Elizabeth cost £2 million, and was funded by a special five-pound coin produced to mark Queen Elizabeth II's 80th birthday.[5]
A second casting of the statue was unveiled in Queen Mother Square, Poundbury, Dorset, on 27 October 2016.[6]
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The full memorial viewed from The Mall
References
- ^ a b "King George VI Memorial". Royal Parks Website. Royal Parks. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
- ^ "Court Circular.", The Times, London, 21 October 1955
- ^ "Stone Steps To King George VI Statue.", The Times, London, 6 October 1955
- ^ Historic England. "Statue of King George VI (1066350)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
- ^ "Queen Elizabeth Memorial". Royal Parks Website. Royal Parks. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
- ^ "Queen Mother statue unveiled at Poundbury estate". BBC News. 27 October 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
External links
Media related to George VI and Queen Elizabeth Memorial at Wikimedia Commons
