Britain’s royal family marked what would have been the late Queen Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday by unveiling comprehensive 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 nearly 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 memorial, while her daughter Princess Anne officially opened the Queen Elizabeth II Garden in Regent’s Park, London. In a video posted on the Royal Family’s YouTube channel, Charles also reflected on his mother’s legacy.
“Her near century was one of remarkable change, and yet, through each passing decade, through every transformation, she remained constant, steadfast and wholly devoted to the people she served,” the king said in his personal message.
Models on display at the British Museum showed how the planned memorial will reshape London’s St. James’s Park. It will feature a translucent glass “unity” bridge evoking 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 wrought from bronze by sculptor Martin Jennings, taking inspiration from the famous Pietro Annigoni portrait depicting the queen clothed in the robes of the Order of the Garter and looking into the distance, the United Kingdom’s Cabinet Office announced Monday.
As well as the planned memorial in St. James’s Park, digital memorial containing archival material of Elizabeth’s reign was launched 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 named the Queen Elizabeth Trust, kickstarted by a one-off £40 million ($54 million) endowment, will also continue the late queen’s legacy, providing 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 from charities that Elizabeth championed as well as people celebrating their own 100th birthday to Buckingham Palace. They were joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales and other senior royals too.
Commemorative stamps and coins have also been released, and Buckingham Palace is hosting a months-long exhibition featuring the largest public display of Elizabeth’s fashion.
