The Queen Elizabeth II memorial committee has appointed the renowned British sculptor Martin Jennings to design and create a statue of the late monarch. The artwork will feature prominently in a national memorial to commemorate her in St James's Park and will be seen by millions of visitors to the capital each year. "I am elated to have been invited to make the sculpture of Queen Elizabeth," he said. "She was loved and admired across the globe for her steadfast devotion to duty, borne with grace, decency and restraint. The monument must not only reflect the grandeur of its setting but be an object of delight to its countless visitors in years to come."
Committee chairman Robin Janvrin, who served as the late Queen’s private secretary from 1999 to 2007, said he was "delighted" by the choice. He said of the sculptor: "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."
© PA MediaMartin’s previous works include a bust of the Queen Mother in St Paul's Cathedral and the first crowned coinage portrait of King Charles III, as well as statues of the poet Philip Larkin in Hull, the nurse Mary Seacole in St Thomas's Hospital and the "Women of Steel" in Sheffield. He will now work with Foster + Partners, the architects tasked with creating an enduring national landmark to honour the UK’s longest-reigning monarch, with the King and Prime Minister set to approve a final design next year.
Queen Elizabeth died on 8 September 2022 and the news comes almost three years to the day since her funeral at Westminster Abbey. Next year will mark the centenary of her birth, and events to commemorate her include the largest-ever exhibition of her fashion ever staged. Around 200 items, half of which have never previously been displayed, will appear in Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style at the King's Gallery, Buckingham Palace.
Martin's previous works
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© Universal History Archive/UniverThe statue stands outside St Thomas' Hospital
Mary Seacole statue
Martin's statue of Black British nurse, Mary Seacole, was unveiled in 2016. Speaking of the design, Martin said he made the statue appear in motion to show Mary "marching defiantly forward into an oncoming wind, as if confronting head-on some of the personal resistance she had constantly to battle".
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© Nils Jorgensen/ShutterstockMartin seen with the statue in 2017
George Orwell statue
In 2017, George completed his statue of author George Orwell, most famous for works like 1984 and Animal Farm. The statue stands outside the BBC's headquarters, Broadcasting House.
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© ShutterstockMartin's piece was the first-ever statue of the author
Charles Dickens
Martin also designed the statue of iconic British writer, Charles Dickens. The statue was unveiled in 2014 and is located in Portsmouth, which was Charles's hometown. Oliver Dickens, a descendant of the A Christmas Carol author, was one of those who helped unveil the artwork.
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© ShutterstockThe statue can be found at St Pancras International rail station
Sir John Betjeman
In 2007, Martin desgined the statue of poet Sir John Betjeman. The artowkr can be found at St Pancras International station, highlighting the late writer's campaign to stop the station's planned demolition during the 1960s.
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© Jeff Gilbert/ShutterstockThe coins featured an image of the monarch
Coins of King Charles III
It's not just statues that Martin designs, as he also created the coins that feature King Charles III's image on them. Speaking about the process on his website, he said: "I have designed and modelled the obverse face of the new national coinage in response to a commission from the Royal Mint.
"This features King Charles III's head in profile. I modelled this first at a larger scale before it was digitally scanned and reduced. In collaboration with the team at the Royal Mint I then designed the inscriptions which encircle the effigy. To date sovereigns, crowns and 50 pence pieces have been released, with the other denominations to follow in 2023.
"In collaboration with the Royal Mint design team, I have also modelled a crowned effigy for a special coronation edition."
