Queen Elizabeth's memorial to be close to Palace

Queen Elizabeth II is Britain's longest-reigning monarch, having reigned for over 70 years

An official memorial to the late Queen Elizabeth II is going to be placed in St James's Park in London.

It is expected to take the form of a statue or sculpture, with plans for the final design expected to be revealed by the centenary of the late Queen's birth in 2026.

The decision to build the memorial there, in a spot not far from the Mall, comes ahead of Sunday's second anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's death.

The location means that tourists visiting Buckingham Palace will be able to take a short walk to see the new monument, commemorating Britain's longest-reigning monarch.

The memorial will be placed in London's St James's Park, just a short walk from Buckingham Palace

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the memorial would reflect the late Queen's "legacy of service and devotion to our country will never be forgotten".

He said the location in the "heart of the capital" would provide a place for people to remember Queen Elizabeth and to "connect with the shared history".

After the late Queen's death, a committee was appointed by the government and the Royal Household to find ways to officially honour her legacy.

This will include a permanent memorial, such as a statue or monument, with the design still to be decided.

It is expected to be in a section of St James's Park between the Marlborough Gate, that leads to the Mall, and the small blue bridge across the pond in the middle of the historic park.

It is in a part of London with many royal connections, including the memorial to Queen Victoria standing outside the gates of Buckingham Palace.

There are also bronze statues of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth - parents of the late Queen - not too far from the proposed location.

These are clustered around The Mall, the road leading up to Buckingham Palace that has been the scene of many ceremonial processions, whether for jubilees or state visits.

In addition to the new memorial, there will be a wider commemoration scheme, which could take the form of facilities or services for the community.

For instance, King George V, who died in 1936, was remembered by opening many sports fields and parks, with about 500 King George V playing fields still dotted around the country.

The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, chaired by Lord Janvrin, the late Queen's private secretary, will share its recommendations with the King and the prime minister.

There will also be funding available for separate memorials in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

There are tight controls over how the late Queen is publicly commemorated, with the Cabinet Office having issued a warning last year that buildings, pubs, parks or businesses could not be named after her without official permission.

Such permission would only be "sparingly granted", said the Cabinet Office.

This weekend will mark the second anniversary of the death of the late Queen - and the start of the reign of her son King Charles III.

Such days are not usually publicly marked by monarchs and have been described as days of "private reflection".

The late Queen died in Balmoral and on Sunday's anniversary, King Charles is expected to be in Scotland, where he has spent much of the summer.

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