The future memorial dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II, who died two years ago, will be built in St James’s Park in London, right next to Buckingham Palace, the British government announced on Saturday.
The site was chosen “for its historical significance and personal connection to the late Queen,” the government said in a statement, on the eve of the second anniversary of Elizabeth II’s death at the age of 96.
The memorial, erected near Marlborough Gate, will be close to the Mall, the long avenue leading to Buckingham Palace and through which royal processions pass during major events, but also to the headquarters of the Commonwealth, a diplomatic alliance to which the Queen was very attached.
It will also be next to statues of King George VI and the Queen Mother, Elizabeth II’s parents, the government said.
“The memorial is intended to be not only a monument dedicated (to the Queen), but also a space for contemplation and communion,” the government explains.
It will be of a “size and ambition appropriate to the impact of Queen Elizabeth II on the life of the country, the Commonwealth and the rest of the world,” he added.
“Queen Elizabeth II’s enduring legacy of service and dedication to our country will never be forgotten,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in the statement.
The site was chosen by a committee set up last year, following a selection process involving officials from the royal household, government, experts and the general public.
He must now begin the design phase of the memorial, and will submit his final choice to the Prime Minister and King Charles III in 2026.
The Queen died on September 8, 2022, at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after 70 years on the throne, and was immediately succeeded by Charles III.
The king, who is being treated for cancer, is currently at his Scottish estate in Aberdeenshire.
Aged 75, he was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. He resumed his public engagements in the spring, after putting them on hold for several months.
He is due to make an official visit to Australia and Samoa this autumn with his wife Queen Camilla.
mhc/cn
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