See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy KRISTINA WEMYSS, GENERAL NEWS REPORTER Published: 18:31 BST, 30 June 2026 | Updated: 18:31 BST, 30 June 2026
Passersby were left wondering if this was a Banksy artwork being erected in the early hours of yesterday morning.The secret project was in fact a giant cardboard cut-out of the late Queen Elizabeth - a replica of a 10ft bronze statue that will be unveiled in 2028.It will depict her during the early stages of her 70-year reign, dressed in the robes of the Order of the Garter.A sculpture of Prince Philip at a similar age, wearing an Admiral of the Fleet uniform, will also be installed as part of the memorial at St James’s Park in central London.Admiring the replica yesterday, Lord Norman Foster, who is overseeing the project, arrived by limousine and watched through virtual reality goggles as the cut-out was hauled above Marlborough Gate. A replica cardboard statue of Queen Elizabeth is hauled above Marlborough Gate in the Mall early this morning Lord Norman Foster watches the demonstration through a virtual reality headset Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the King and Queen meet Lord Foster at a presentation on the design for the memorial The sculpture will depict the late queen during the early stages of her 70-year reign, dressed in the robes of the Order of the GarterThe final statue, designed by Martin Jennings, will sit on a plinth in this spot close to Buckingham Palace, overlooking the Mall.It is inspired by a famous 1955 painting of the late Queen by Pietro Annigoni.The memorial will also feature a cast-glass bridge inspired by Queen Mary's fringe tiara - worn by Queen Elizabeth on her wedding day - and a bust of Her Majesty in her later years by sculptor Karen Newman.There will also be gardens dedicated to the Commonwealth and the nations of the UK, after Lord Foster’s team last year won a competition to design the space.One passerby told the Daily Mail: ‘I thought it was going to be a Banksy to be honest, that’s the only reason I stopped.‘It was pretty surreal seeing a cardboard cutout of the Queen that tall at 6am.’
