The artist responsible for bronze tributes to some of the Second World War’s most courageous women has been commissioned to create a sculpture of Queen Elizabeth II for the national memorial in central London.
Karen Newman, whose works commemorate figures including secret agent Noor Inayat Khan and Special Operations Executive operative Violette Szabo, will contribute to the Birdcage Walk site designed by architect Lord Foster.
Her portfolio includes a memorial to Inayat Khan, the first female radio operator sent into Nazi-occupied France, which stands in Gordon Square Gardens. A bronze bust of Szabo is positioned outside Lambeth Palace, while a separate work honours Nancy Wake, the agent nicknamed The White Mouse for her ability to evade capture while guiding hundreds of Allied personnel to safety.
Ms Newman spent two decades at Madame Tussauds, where she produced wax figures of Prince Philip, former Prime Ministers Harold Wilson and Sir Tony Blair, and musicians including Stevie Wonder and Yoko Ono.
Describing her approach to the royal commission, the sculptor said she intended to combine elements of Elizabeth II’s life, depicting her “both as an icon and as an individual.” She called the late sovereign “an iconic and unifying figure in our national story.”
Lord Foster praised the appointment, noting that Ms Newman’s talent and sensitivity would bring dignity to the work.
The sculpture will complement a larger statue by Martin Jennings, to be positioned at a new civic space called Queen Elizabeth II Place at Marlborough Gate. Mr Jennings confirmed his depiction would show the monarch standing rather than on horseback, following the tradition established for House of Windsor sovereigns.
A statue of Prince Philip will stand nearby, reflecting what the Cabinet Office described as the couple’s partnership throughout her reign.
Full designs for the memorial are expected to be unveiled in April, marking what would have been the Queen’s centenary.
