New Statue of Queen Elizabeth Draws Criticism That It Doesn't Resemble the Late Monarch 'In Any Shape or Form'

Mar. 15, 2025

A new statue of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip unveiled on Sept. 6, 2024 to commemorate the two-year anniversary of her death on Sept. 8, 2024.Photo:Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council

Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council

A new statue ofQueen Elizabethis drawing scrutiny after some say it doesn’t resemble the monarch.

“We have to be honest, it does not resemble the queen in any shape or form,” Antrim and Newtownabbey counselor Vera McWilliam toldBBC News.

The new statue of Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and two corgis unveiled for the two-year anniversary of her death on Sept. 8, 2022.Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council

Antrim local Richard told the outlet that he was also “really disappointed” after seeing the statue in person, which depicts Queen Elizabeth andPrince Philipin their everyday attire along with two of the Queen’s beloved corgis,. “Whoever signed that off needs their eyes tested,” he said. “It’s not good.”

Going a step further, he added, “I would take it away. It doesn’t do anything in memory for Her Majesty, so definitely I would remove it.”

Several people echoed his sentiments online under the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough’s post about the new sculpture. One person wrote, “Dreadful…take it down. It’s an insult to Her Majesty,” while another added, “Both need [to be] removed and melted down and redone.”

That said, the feedback wasn’t all bad. Antrim officials and some UK residents shared a more positive outlook on the statue, including the Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Neil Kelly, whodescribed the statue as “beautiful”and said it was a “tribute not only to Her Majesty’s extraordinary life and reign but also to her deep connection with the people of our Borough.”

Northern Ireland resident Brenda also praised the state for its uniqueness, telling BBC News that the statue “caught my eye right away.” She explained that “on the whole it is really nice,” though she wished that the statue of the queen was “made to look older.”

New statue of Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and two corgis was unveiled on Sept. 6, 2024 near Belfast.Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council

Another couple, Francis and Marie, told the outlet that they thought the artist got the royal couple’s likeness “down to the tee” with the statue.

“They’ve got the Queen as she’s young. I think the two would be very pleased with it. And they’ve got the corgis all round,” Francis said. “That is the Queen, she loved being outside and that’s why there’s a smile on her face.”

According to the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough, the sculpture was created “to commemorate” the Queen on the two-year anniversary of her death on Sept. 8, 2022, and reflect her “grace, steadfastness and lifelong dedication to public service.” The Antrim Castle Gardens is located close to the city of Belfast, where the late Queen last visited in 2016 alongside Prince Philip.

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“The statue beautifully captures Her Majesty’s grace and steadfastness, standing as a fitting tribute to her extraordinary life and reign,” the council added, noting that they were “delighted with the generally positive response” they received on the statue.

Queen Elizabeth at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019 press day at Chelsea Flower Show on May 20, 2019 in London, England.Geoff Pugh - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Geoff Pugh - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Historian Dr. Tessa Dunlop, who is writing a book about monuments, said “Sometimes it’s best to just give it a beat before you erect a monument,” per theTimes. “The Antrim one gives this idea of domesticity, and I don’t think in the longer term that is what the Queen will come to represent.”

She added, “I don’t want to knock the local artist, but I worry [about] that homespun aspect and this idea of the Queen being an emotional blank canvas onto which we project our ideas of motherhood and a sort of dog-loving, comely wife in a headscarf. I think that actually, in time, we’ll see her much more as a stateswoman. Certainly that was her role in Ireland.”

The reveal comes on the heels of the announcement of another new monument planned to be unveiled on what would have beenher 100th birthday in 2026— this one in London. St. James’s Park will be the location of the new statue honoring the late monarch, who died at 96 years old two years ago.

source: people.com