The statue is placed in a formally empty niche adjacent to the South West Door on the West Front of the 800 year-old cathedral.
The new statue marks Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee – the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne in 1952 – and pays tribute to her long life of faithful service and duty to her country and to the Commonwealth.
An expert architectural carver and stone mason, Richard has been a member of York Minster’s renowned Stoneyard team since 2011. Richard’s design depicts the Sovereign in her Garter robes with the orb and sceptre, the symbols of her office as Head of Church and State and wearing the George IV State Diadem. Richard’s initial concept design has been developed in close consultation with York’s Fabric Advisory Committee and the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England who recently gave their permission for the principle of the statue under the Care of Cathedrals Measure, the legal framework against which all major changes to cathedral buildings are considered.
The statue will be carved from a block of Lepine stone – the French stone that has previously been used for figurative carvings on the Minster as well as the restoration of the West Window in 2000. Once completed, the statue will stand two metres tall and will weigh nearly two tonnes. Richard will begin carving the statue in the Minster’s Stoneyard later this year and it will be installed in its niche in the autumn of 2022.
Richard said: “There have been several challenges to overcome with this project in terms of the design. First and foremost I have to complement the magnificent medieval façade of the Minster. The statue needs to be part of the fabric, not a distraction from it, yet it also has to have the poise and presence befitting of the Queen’s unique role as Head of Church and State. The figure is posed to form a protective gesture around the orb and sceptre, while Her Majesty’s gaze is aligned across the proposed Queen Elizabeth Square, the principal approach to York Minster. She will stand proud and resolute in her niche, welcoming worshippers and visitors alike”.
The Dean of York said: “We are delighted to be marking Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and to give thanks for a life of dedication to this nation and the Commonwealth. We are incredibly proud that the statue has been designed and will be carved by one of our own masons which is testament to the incredible craft skills we have here in our Stoneyard.
