[Image above] A rendering of the proposed cast-glass bridge that will be the centerpiece of the new Queen Elizabeth II National Memorial. The bridge is inspired by the historic Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara. Credit: Foster + Partners
When Queen Elizabeth II passed away on Sept. 8, 2022, at the age of 96, her death truly marked the end of an era, as she was the longest-reigning monarch in British history. Such a significant event marked not only a major shift for the royal family but the country as a whole, and the U.K. Government and Royal Household quickly formed a Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee “to develop, consult, and advise on a national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II.”
One of the Committee’s first orders of business was to hold a Queen Elizabeth II National Memorial Masterplan Design Competition, which aimed to identify “an exceptionally dedicated and inspired multidisciplinary team to create a landmark memorial masterplan of outstanding aesthetic quality.”
In June 2025, British international architecture firm Foster + Partners was announced as the winner. The centerpiece of their masterplan design, which will transform a portion of St. James’s Park (located across from Buckingham Palace), will be a cast-glass bridge inspired by the historic Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara.
Although initial designs secured Foster + Partners the honor of creating the national memorial, final designs needed to be submitted before construction could proceed. The final designs were revealed this week on April 21, on what would have been Queen Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday.
Norman Foster, founder and executive chairman of Foster + Partners, met with the Royal Family and U.K. Prime Minister to present the designs, which besides the cast-glass bridge will include new standing bronze statues of Queen Elizabeth II and her consort Prince Philip by acclaimed sculptor Martin Jennings.
Starting April 24, the models for the designs will be displayed at the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh, the Millennium Centre in Cardiff, and Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland to allow people from across the U.K. to view the details. A virtual tour of the designs can be seen in the video below.
Credit: Foster + Partners, YouTube
Besides the permanent memorial in St. James’s Park, the U.K. government also announced the establishment of a new U.K.-wide independent charity, The Queen Elizabeth Trust. The charity “will work hand in hand with communities, providing funding and targeted support to restore and sustain shared spaces at the heart of local life,” according to the announcement.
A third memorial project, The Queen Elizabeth Digital Memorial, was also announced on April 21. The official press release explains that the digital memorial “will digitize Court Circular records and bring them to life online alongside materials from museums, archives, and the media to create a record of Elizabeth II’s public life.” Furthermore, people globally will have the opportunity to contribute their own memories and images of Queen Elizabeth II to the memorial.
