- Karen Newman is appointed to design a new sculpture of Queen Elizabeth II on Birdcage Walk, marking the entrance to the Queen Elizabeth Memorial.
- This will complement Martin Jennings’ statue of Queen Elizabeth on The Mall, which will now be accompanied by a statue of Prince Philip close by.
- Final designs for the national memorial to be unveiled in April.
The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee has appointed renowned sculptor Karen Newman MRSS to design a new sculpture of the late Monarch in St James Park, London as part of the memorial landscape, the Cabinet Office has confirmed in an update on the project’s progress.
The sculpture will be situated on the Birdcage Walk side of the park and will form part of the National Memorial to Queen Elizabeth II being designed by Foster + Partners under the direction of the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee.
Karen is an acclaimed British sculptor, with a career spanning more than five decades. Her works include World War II heroines – Noor Inayat Khan, Violette Szabo, Nancy Wake – and sculpted portraits of poet WH Auden and actor Charles Dance. For twenty years she worked as a sculptor for Madame Tussauds, where she sculpted wax portrait figures of Prince Philip, former Prime Ministers Harold Wilson and Tony Blair and several stars from the entertainment industries.
Her smaller figurative sculpture will complement the main statue of Queen Elizabeth that will overlook The Mall being designed by sculptor Martin Jennings.
The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee has confirmed two further developments in the design of the national memorial that Martin Jenning’s statue of The late Queen will depict her in a standing position; and he will also sculpt the statue of Prince Philip, which will be situated close to the statue of Queen Elizabeth II on The Mall.
Karen Newman said
It is a huge honour to be asked to contribute my work to the Memorial for Queen Elizabeth II. She was an iconic and unifying figure in our national story. I am very much looking forward to portraying the strong and complex personality of our late Queen.
My approach will be to combine elements of her life in the sculpture, showing her both as an icon and as an individual. I’m very happy to be working alongside the excellent sculptor Martin Jennings, Fosters + Partners the Architects and the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Committee.
Martin Jennings said
I have admired Karen’s work for many years and I am delighted that she will be joining the team of artists tasked with making sculptures for the memorial site. Her work always has great presence, being both subtle and commanding in equal measure.
After careful research and thought, my design for the Queen’s monument will emphasise her role as Head of State and proudly follows a sculptural tradition that shows kings and queens from the House of Windsor in standing position.
Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman of Foster + Partners, said
It is a pleasure to welcome Karen Newman as sculptor for The Queen’s statue at Birdcage Walk. Her talent and sensitivity will bring a profound sense of dignity to the work, and I look forward to collaborating closely with her and the team in the months ahead.
The final designs for the National Memorial will be unveiled in April 2026, to coincide with what would have been Queen Elizabeth’s hundredth birthday.