King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Memorial facts for kids
The statues in 2015
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| Coordinates | 51°30′19″N 0°08′01″W / 51.50514°N 0.13373°W |
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| Location | London |
| Designer | William McMillan |
| Type | Memorial |
| Material | Bronze |
| Opening date | 2009 |
| Dedicated to | King George VI and Queen Elizabeth |
The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Memorial is a special monument in central London. You can find it between The Mall and Carlton Gardens. This memorial honors King George VI and his wife, Queen Elizabeth.
The memorial you see today was finished in 2009. It includes an older statue of King George VI. This statue was made by William McMillan. It was first shown to the public by his daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1955.
The updated memorial now has a statue of the Queen Mother. This was made by Philip Jackson. It also features detailed carvings by Paul Day. The whole design was set up by Donald Buttress and Donald Insall. Queen Elizabeth II officially opened this new version in 2009.
Statue of King George VI
The statue of King George VI is made of bronze. It was sculpted by William McMillan. The statue shows the King wearing his naval uniform. It stands on a strong base made of Portland stone.
Queen Elizabeth II unveiled this statue. Her mother and other royal family members were there. The architect for this part of the memorial was Louis de Soissons. Some people worried the memorial might not look good near the Duke of York Column. But when it was unveiled on October 6, 1955, people liked it.
This statue was given a special status on January 9, 1970. It became a Grade II-listed building. This means it is an important historical structure.
Statue of Queen Elizabeth
The statue of Queen Elizabeth is also made of bronze. It was sculpted by Philip Jackson. The statue shows her at age 51. This was around the time her husband, King George VI, passed away.
The memorial for Queen Elizabeth cost about £2 million. This money came from a special five pound coin. The coin was made to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's 80th birthday.
A second copy of this statue was made. It was placed in Queen Mother Square in Poundbury, Dorset. This second statue was unveiled on October 27, 2016.
See also
In Spanish: Memorial de Jorge VI y la Reina Madre para niños
