Artist Philip Jackson with his finished statue
WHAT INSPIRED THE SCULPTOR ?
Renowned artist Philip Jackson met the Queen Mother when she was 100 , to present her with a statue of her late husband King George VI . Philip said :
“ Meeting the Queen Mother at the time was incredibly useful because one could see what a great spirit she was . Even at that age she was a remarkable example of how you can live life to the full , right to the very end .”
“ When you look at the photographs and the footage , you seldom catch her without a smile on her face – it was so obvious that she had the spark of life in her and I really wanted to get that life into the work . But at the same time , this is an official memorial , showing her as Elizabeth the Queen , so what I did was to get the wind just moving her robes slightly , and a faint smile playing on her lips .”
WHAT DOES THE ORIGINAL STATUE IN LONDON LOOK LIKE ?
Standing next to the bronze statue of her husband , King George VI in The Mall , this national memorial to The Queen Mother , who died in 2002 aged 101 , was unveiled by HM The Queen in February 2009 .
The memorial cost £ 2m and was funded by a £ 5 coin , produced by the Royal Mint to celebrate the Queen ’ s 80th birthday .
The Queen Mother Statue in The Mall , London
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