How you can share your thoughts on the Queen's memorial

9 May 2025, 13:10 | Updated: 9 May 2025, 15:41

One of the memorials that the public can comment on is this one of the Queen riding a horse. Picture: J&L Gibbons and Malcolm Reading Consultants/PA

By William Mata

The public have been given the chance to vote from a shortlist as to which national memorial should be chosen to honour the late Queen Elizabeth II.

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A cast of a Windsor oak tree, a canopy of stone lily pads, and a statue of the monarch alongside her husband Prince Philip are among the final ideas that royalists can choose from.

The memorial will be placed in St James’s Park, near Buckingham Palace, once the final design has been chosen as part of the vote being organised by Malcolm Reading Consultants.

Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022. Picture: Getty

Lord Janvrin, chairman of the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, said: “Queen Elizabeth II’s extraordinary life of service profoundly touched countless individuals, and she was a figure of great respect and admiration.

“Memories of her long reign are still fresh for so many of us, and we need to capture the essence of them for future generations.

“In recognition of this, it is only fitting that we invite the public to express their views on these design concepts.

“We are delighted to be working with some of the best architects, artists and designers in the world to produce a landmark memorial of outstanding beauty that celebrates and honours the life of Queen Elizabeth II.”

Here is what you need to know about the competition.

What is on the shortlist?

There are five designs on the shortlist.

The 'tranquil family' design is one submitted for consideration. Picture: Foster + Partners and Malcolm Reading Consultants/PA

Option 1: The Tranquil Family

Norman Foster of Foster & Partners has worked with the artist Yinka Shonibare, ecologist Nigel Dunnett and the landscape architect Michel Desvigne to put forward these gardens linked by a stone path. The centrepiece is a statue of the late Queen on horseback.

The lilies form a theme of 'togetherness'. Picture: Heatherwick Studio and Malcolm Reading Consultants/PA

Option 2: Togetherness

This memorial walk has been put together by Heatherwick Studio alongside sculptor and ceramicist Halima Cassell, MRG Studio, Webb Yates and Arup. It features 70 lily pad stepping stones and centres around a limestone sculpture of the Queen.

Option 3: Bedrock of the Nation

J&L Gibbons has put together this stone bridge over soil alongside production designer Michael Levine and William Matthews Associates. The bridge intertwines with roots and water to present Elizabeth II as the “bedrock of the nation”.

The sculpture of the Windsor oak tree. Picture: Tom Stuart-Smith/PA

Option 4: Sonic Soundscape

This striking cast of an oak tree from Windsor park was designed to show the Queen’s strength and endurance. It was designed by Tom Stuart-Smith with Jamie Fobert Architects and artist Adam Lowe.

The bridges build a theme of unity. Picture: WilkinsonEyre and Malcolm Reading Consultants/PA

Option 5: Elegant bridges

And last, but not least, is this network of bridges designed by WilkinsonEyre with artists Lisa Vandy and Fiona Clarke.

How to vote

The public can view entries online and comment until Monday, May 19.

The winning design concept will be subject to further development and later planning permission.

Once the winning team has been selected, they will also work with the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee to select an artist later this year to design a suitable figurative representation of the late Queen.

You can put forward your thoughts here.