The King has declared the final designs for the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II to be "fantastic".
On what would have been her 100th birthday, he and the Queen joined the Prime Minister to view a scale model of the St James’s Park site at the British Museum, along with maquettes for the artworks that will feature in it.
They were accompanied by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. The King’s cousin Lady Sarah Chatto was also among guests.
In the Reading Room, celebrated architect Lord Foster talked the royal party through the model, explaining how the memorial, which stretches from the Mall to Birdcage Walk, was inspired by the Park's original John Nash design, which followed a naturalistic, winding path rather than a straight line.
He pointed out where a bronze standing statue of the late monarch by sculptor Martin Jennings will stand, at a formal entrance on The Mall, a few metres ahead of a statue of Prince Philip.
Gushing reactions
“Fantastic,” said the King. “It’s a wonderful idea for the bridge to be based on the Russian Fringe tiara, the one my Mama wore at her wedding.” Also known as the Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara, the diamond headpiece has inspired a new lake crossing, which will feature a translucent glass balustrade so that it will glow.
© WireImage“We can lift it and drop it in overnight so we don’t even have to close the park,” said Lord Foster. "Extraordinary!" said Camilla.
The Queen was amused when she asked about one particular structure on the model and was told it housed “facilities” which would be moved so as not to block the view. "Can they camouflage it?" joked the King.
Later, looking at renderings of the overall design on a screen, the Queen told Lord Foster and Sir Keir Starmer: "I love that bridge. It’s just so lovely. It has a lovely twinkle."
© Getty ImagesA memorial fit for a Queen
Escorted by Lord Janvrin, chair of the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee and the late monarch’s private secretary between 1999 and 2007, the royal couple spoke to the three artists tasked with creating works for the site, Martin Jennings, Karen Newman and Yinka Shonibare, alongside the maquettes of their sculptures, which will remain on public display at the British Museum.
The memorial will feature a standing statue of the late Queen overlooking The Mall at Marlborough Gate. Sculpted in bronze by Martin Jennings, it will depict her as a young woman in her Garter robes and is inspired by the famous portrait of her by Pietro Annigoni.
The King and Queen looked thoughtful as he explained how the completed three-metre-tall statue would show her face turned towards Buckingham Palace.
© Steve StudiosThe sculptor will also produce a nearby statue of Prince Philip wearing his uniform of Admiral-of-the-fleet, in recognition of the support he gave the late Queen throughout her seven-decade reign. Charles laughed and said, “Yes,” as the artist explained he had depicted the late Duke of Edinburgh as “a tall, thin figure”.
Admiring the maquette of a young Queen Elizabeth, the Duchess of Edinburgh said: "It’s a lovely statue, it’s how she would like to be remembered, as a younger woman."
Told it was based on the Annigoni portrait the late Queen sat for at the age of 28, the Duchess added: "She was very well established by that stage." The artist told her: "I hope it expresses the optimism of the early years of her reign."
The memorial will also feature a bust of Queen Elizabeth in later life by Karen Newman and The Commonwealth Wind Sculpture, an abstract work by Yinka Shonibare, which features flowers inspired by those embroidered on the late monarch’s Norman Hartnell Coronation gown.
© Cabinet OfficeThe setting will be landscaped into gardens dedicated to the Commonwealth and nations of the United Kingdom, offering spaces for relaxation and reflection.
Remembering the Queen on her 100th birthday
Their Majesties then met Sir Damon Buffini, Chair of the Queen Elizabeth Trust, a new UK-wide independent charity which will honour her lifelong commitment to public service by providing grants to places at the heart of local life. The King has become its royal patron.
Earlier, they were introduced to British Museum director Dr Nicholas Cullinan and Chair of the Trustees George Osborne, along with trustees including the artist Dame Tracey Emin, TV presenter Claudia Winkleman and broadcaster Martha Kearney.
The King and Queen also met representatives from organisations across the UK who have helped to develop the memorial projects.
Speaking after the visit, Martin Jennings said: "The King was seeing the sculptures for the first time, so he was taking them in, but his response was warm and encouraging."
© Getty ImagesLord Foster, who knew the late Queen through his membership of the Order of Merit, described working on the project as "humbling" and "a tremendous privilege." "The memorial is about her values, about her legacy, and it's also in many ways about her love of history and tradition," he said.
"The King has been beyond supportive. He's contributed to the project in the many discussions and exchanges. So I think it's been a very creative process, and it continues to be so in a way, many different voices have been heard along the way and have contributed to the evolution of the design, but it is unmistakably the same original competition design."
Explaining how the original plan to depict the late Queen on horseback has changed to feature her standing, Lord Foster said: "Like any competition, the competition design, is really a starting point. And so it's absolutely normal that as you hear the different voices, the preferences, that those become embodied in the design as a democracy.
He said of the royal visitors: "Her Majesty and His Majesty were really enthusiastic about the project, and because I've had the privilege of presenting it several times as it's grown and evolved… it's been very much a shared experience."
Asked about historic differences of opinion with King Charles on the subject of architecture, Lord Foster replied: "I think those have been perhaps exaggerated somewhat in the past. And I think I can say without being presumptuous, that the core values about history, about tradition, and the importance of those issues, those are totally dominant and totally shared."
