“Big surprise on the 100th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s birth: The secret of the new monument is officially revealed”

A new monument honoring the late Queen Elizabeth will be open to the public to mark what would have been her 100th birthday in 2026.

The Daily Mirror reported that the sculpture honoring the life and legacy of the late Queen will be unveiled in St. James’s Park in London to commemorate her centenary year. This announcement comes after plans for a permanent memorial, as well as a national legacy program in her honor, were created after her death on Sept. 8, 2022, at 96 years old.

“It is an honor to be asked to chair the Queen Elizabeth memorial committee,” said Lord Robin Janvrin, the late Queen’s former private secretary who, along with the committee, worked with the U.K. government and the Royal Household to create the monument. Speaking at the time the committee was formed in 2023, Janvrin said “It will be a unique challenge to try to capture for future generations Her late Majesty’s extraordinary contribution to our national life throughout her very long reign.”

The choice of St. James’s Park as the location of the statue is meaningful, as it is known for hosting numerous royal ceremonies — from Trooping the Colour to Changing the Guard to coronations and jubilees. The park is also home to some of the most revered royal and military memorials in the U.K., and according to the Daily Mirror, Queen Elizabeth’s memorial will be nearby the statue of Queen Victoria, positioned outside Buckingham Palace on The Mall.

Another late Queen is honored with a statue on The Mall: Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, whose monument was unveiled in 2009, seven years after her death in 2002. Her statue stands next to one of her husband, King George VI, unveiled to the public by his daughter Queen Elizabeth in 1955, three years after his passing.

Queen Elizabeth, who became Queen upon her father’s unexpected death in 1952, went on to reign for a history-making 70 years. Former Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said last year “Queen Elizabeth II was our longest reigning monarch and greatest public servant,” according to the Daily Mirror. He added that the memorial committee would “begin the important work of designing a fitting tribute to her legacy of service to our nation and the Commonwealth.”

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Earlier this year, on what would have been her 98th birthday on April 21, a statue said to be the first permanent memorial to the late Queen was unveiled — a seven-foot bronze statue depicting the monarch as a young woman with corgis at her feet. It was unveiled outside the local library in Oakham in Rutland, England’s smallest county, and Dr. Sarah Furness, the Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland who commissioned the sculpture following Queen Elizabeth’s death, said at its unveiling ceremony that “We are witnessing a piece of history today with the first statue of Queen Elizabeth to be commissioned since her death and who gave us 70 years of exemplary service,” according to The Telegraph.

She added, “Rutland may be a small county, but the response to this has been huge, with contributions from local businesses and individuals of varying sizes.” (About $155,000 was fundraised to make the project possible.)

The decision to include corgis was a poignant one, as the late Queen was known to love the dog breed and had many throughout her life. Her final two corgis, Sandy and Muick, were given to her as a gift from Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson and their daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie in 2021, the year before she died. The two now live with the Duchess of York, and she opened up to PEOPLE about the experience of taking care of them.

“They are national icons, so every time they run chasing a squirrel, I panic,” she said. “But they’re total joys, and I always think that when they bark at nothing, and there’s no squirrels in sight, I believe it’s because the Queen is passing by.”

In addition to the statue planned for St. James’s Park, the Royal Parks charity announced Aug. 6 that planning permission was granted for a new two-acre garden in the Regent’s Park in London to mark her 100th birthday in April 2026.

“Key features of the garden will include a circular pond enhancing wildlife habitats, a central promenade with an accessible platform over the pond and a vibrant flower garden showcasing species significant to the late Queen,” Royal Parks said in a statement.