The George VI and Queen Elizabeth Memorial is a memorial to George VI and his consort, Queen Elizabeth, at Carlton Gardens on The Mall in central London, England.[1]
The memorial was unveiled in two parts, on both occasions by their eldest daughter, Queen Elizabeth II. The statue of George was unveiled in 1955, and the statue of Elizabeth was unveiled in 2009.[1]
George VI statue[edit]
The statue of 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 memorial, but it was positively received upon unveiling on 6 October 1955.[3]
Queen Elizabeth statue[edit]
The statue of Queen Elizabeth was sculpted in bronze by Philip Jackson, and depicts 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.[4]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "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
- ^ "Queen Elizabeth Memorial". Royal Parks Website. Royal Parks. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
External links[edit]
Media related to George VI and Queen Elizabeth Monument at Wikimedia Commons
Coordinates: 51°30′19″N 0°08′01″W / 51.50514°N 0.13373°W