Queen Mother memorial unveiled
- 00:02:17
- ITN
Queen Mother memorial unveiled
A national monument to the Queen Mother has been unveiled on by the Queen. Sculptor Philip Jackson created the monument, which portrays the Queen Mother in her younger days wearing Order of the Garter robes and sits underneath a statue of her husband King George VI on The Mall. Senior members of the Royal Family including Prince William, Prince Harry, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke of York, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, the Princess Royal and the Earl and Countess of Wessex gathered to watch the unveiling, as did members of the Bowes-Lyon family - relatives of the Queen Mother. The Prince of Wales then paid a poignant personal tribute to his "darling grandmother", praising the Queen Mother's "vitality". He said: "At long last my grandparents are reunited in this joint symbol, which in particular reminds us of all they stood for and meant to so many during the darkest days this country has ever faced. "Today we remember them both with joy mingled with sadness, but also intense gratitude for the role they performed with such consummate grace and inspiration." The last memorial to a Royal consort was made to Queen Victoria's husband, the Prince Consort, with the Albert Memorial built from 1864-1876. Mr Jackson, who has already created sculptures of the Queen and her father George VI, said: "I think the monument is very important, this is an historical landmark as well as a geographical one. "The Queen Mother's influence was felt for almost an entire century and she was well loved by a large part of the population. "This particular sculpture is her national monument and shows her in majesty - it's her as Queen Elizabeth."
ITN | February 24, 2009
