Buckingham Palace makes important announcement

King Charles III's office has announced to make an important appointment to design and create the statue of Queen Elizabeth II for the UK’s national memorial in St James’s Park, London.

The royal family paid an emotional tribute to the late Queen by sharing a stunning portrait of her on their official Instagram story on Saturday.

It comes after the cabinet announced that renowned British sculptor Martin Jennings to design and create a new sculpture of Queen Elizabeth II.

In the audio message, Martin expressed his gratitude for the honour, saying, "I would like to put across her constancy, her devotion to duty, her steadfastness, and these are aspects of her other ones I think I would be holding with me while I am making this piece."

This update comes shortly after the royal family commemorated the third death anniversary of the late monarch I on September 8, 2025.

The sculpture will form the centrepiece of a new memorial on the Mall at Marlborough Gate and will be developed alongside the wider site design by leading architectural practice Foster + Partners.

Final proposals will be submitted next year for approval by King Charles III and the Prime Minister.

Jennings is one of the country’s most respected sculptors. Millions of people are already familiar with his work, which includes the bust of the Queen Mother at St Paul’s Cathedral and the first crowned coinage portrait of King Charles III.

Norman Foster, founder and executive chairman of Foster + Partners, added: “I am pleased to welcome Martin Jennings to the Queen Elizabeth Memorial team. His work has a sensitivity and humanity that align well with the fundamental spirit of the project, and I look forward to working together with Martin and the rest of the team in the coming months.”