Late Queen will ‘never be forgotten’, PM pledges ahead of anniversary of death

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to the late Queen’s “enduring legacy of service and devotion to our country” ahead of the second anniversary of her death, saying she will “never be forgotten”.

The nation’s longest-reigning monarch died peacefully at Balmoral Castle on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96.

Elizabeth II, whose reign spanned 70 years, dedicated her life to her royal duty.

The anniversary of her death, and of the King’s accession to the throne, falls on Sunday.

Sir Keir said a new national memorial in her honour, which will stand in St James’s Park in the heart of London, will provide “everyone with a place to honour the late Queen and connect with the shared history we cherish”.

The site, approved by Charles and the Prime Minister, was chosen because of its closeness to the ceremonial route of The Mall, and Buckingham Palace, and its historical and constitutional significance, but also because of a poignant personal connection to the late Queen – the nearby statues of her beloved parents.

The bronze tributes to King George VI, who died at the age of 56 in 1952, and the Queen Mother, who died aged 101 in the Golden Jubilee year of 2002, stand just a short distance along The Mall.

Sir Keir said: “Queen Elizabeth II’s enduring legacy of service and devotion to our country will never be forgotten.

“The national memorial will be located in St James’s Park, right in the heart of the capital, providing everyone with a place to honour the late Queen and connect with the shared history we cherish.”

The Queen travelled up and down The Mall in horse-drawn carriages and state cars watched by huge crowds countless times over the decades, making the journey for jubilees, state visits, on her coronation day, and for birthday celebrations, royal weddings and funerals.

Her former private secretary Lord Janvrin, who is chairman of the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, said: “The Mall and St James’s Park at the ceremonial heart of our capital provides a location closely identified with so many events of the late Queen’s life.

“It is a fitting site for the national memorial in her honour to remember and celebrate her extraordinary contribution to our lives throughout her long reign.”

Architects, artists and designers will be invited to submit proposals later this year to fit the brief of providing a memorial, which will serve as a space for contemplation and community and be of appropriate scale and ambition to match the late Queen’s impact.

The memorial, depending on its form, will be located just a few hundred metres from the Palace, in the area of St James’s Park adjacent to The Mall at Marlborough Gate, and on the east of the pathway which leads down to the lake near the park’s Blue Bridge.

The path also acts as a small section of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Walk – a seven-mile route through the capital in memory of the princess.

The aftermath of Diana’s death in a car crash in 1997 proved one of the most challenging times for the modern monarchy.

The Queen was perceived as being out of step with the feelings of mourners, with the public left wondering why the monarch, who was at Balmoral with Princes William and Harry, took so long to speak publicly about the tragedy.

But on the eve of the funeral, the Queen addressed the nation, saying everyone had been trying to cope in different ways and “What I say to you now, as your Queen and as a grandmother, I say from my heart.”

Baroness Amos, Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee member and former Lord President of the Council, reflected on the Queen’s global leadership over the decades, saying she “knew how to connect to people and bring communities together”.

“I admired her resilience and steadfastness, her belief in the people of Britain and the Commonwealth, her quiet diplomacy, her subtle use of power and common sense approach,” she added.

The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee is the independent body tasked with considering and recommending proposals to the King and the Prime Minister.

Public funds will be used to pay for the memorial, but the UK Government will also make funding available for memorial projects in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The announcement of the final design will coincide with what would have been the Queen’s 100th birthday year in 2026.