IDEAS from the public are to be sought for a permanent memorial to the late Queen, which is set to be unveiled in 2026 to mark what would have been her centenary year.
The Queen Elizabeth memorial committee will consider and recommend proposals for a “fitting tribute” to the nation’s longest-reigning monarch following her death in September 2022.
It will be jointly supported by the UK Government and the Royal Household, with Lord Robin Janvrin, the late Queen’s former private secretary appointed as chairman, the Cabinet Office said on Sunday.
The independent body will seek proposals from the public before making a final decision about the memorial.
The Government said it would support the proposals and consider funding options.
The plans will be unveiled to coincide with what would have been the Queen’s hundredth birthday in 2026.
Senior figures and experts are set to be appointed to the committee to develop ideas and bring their recommendations to the King and Prime Minister.
Lord Janvrin said: “It is an honour to be asked to chair the Queen Elizabeth memorial committee.
“It will be a unique challenge to try to capture for future generations Her Late Majesty’s extraordinary contribution to our national life throughout her very long reign.”
Lord Janvrin worked at Buckingham Palace in different roles from 1987 to 2007. He was ennobled in 2007 and sits as a crossbench peer in the House of Lords.
Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said: “Queen Elizabeth was our longest reigning monarch and greatest public servant.
“Lord Janvrin will now begin the important work of designing a fitting tribute to her legacy of service to our nation and the Commonwealth.”
The late Queen unveiled a statue of her father George VI on The Mall in 1955, while a statue of The Queen Mother was erected nearby in 2009.
After the death of George VI in 1952, funding was raised for grants to community organisations working to improve the wellbeing of young and elderly people, including the creation of day centres and clubs.
It is unclear how much public money is set to be spent on the memorial.
