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Royals family remember Queen Elizabeth II on what would have been her 100th birthday
The British royal family marked what would have been the centenary of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday by unveiling extensive plans for a new charity and memorial in central London.
Senior members of the family also attended several events on Tuesday to honor Britain’s longest-serving monarch, who died almost four years ago at the age of 96.
Her son, King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, visited the British Museum in London to view models of the planned monument, while her daughter Princess Anne officially opened the Queen Elizabeth II Garden in Regent’s Park, London.
“Her almost century was one of remarkable change, and yet through each passing decade, through each transformation, she remained constant, steadfast and completely committed to the people she served,” the king said in his personal message.
Models on display at the British Museum showed how the planned monument will reshape London’s St. James’s Park.
It will feature a translucent glass ‘unity bridge’ reminiscent of the tiara she wore on her wedding day, as well as statues of Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip.
The statue of Elizabeth will be crafted from bronze by sculptor Martin Jennings, inspired by Pietro Annigoni’s famous portrait, which depicts the queen dressed in the robes of the Order of the Garter and looking into the distance, Britain’s Cabinet Office announced on Monday.
In addition to the planned memorial in St. James’s Park, a digital memorial containing archive material about Elizabeth’s reign was also launched on Tuesday.
People around the world will be able to reflect on their own memories of the late queen and “tag them to events and locations on the site”, the Cabinet Office said.
A new charity called the Queen Elizabeth Trust, launched through a one-off donation of £40 million ($75.5 million), will also carry on the late queen’s legacy and provide funding for “places at the heart of local life, such as community centers and green spaces”, the Cabinet Office said.
Later on Tuesday, Charles and Camilla invited representatives of charities Elizabeth championed, as well as people celebrating their own 100th birthdays, to Buckingham Palace.
They were accompanied by the Prince and Princess of Wales as well as other senior royals.
Commemorative stamps and coins have also been released, and Buckingham Palace is hosting a months-long exhibition of the largest public display of Elizabeth’s fashion.
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