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.

The fountain was installed in Goswell Park, Windsor in 2012 for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Fountain was inspired by the crown jewels and features 60 different water jets. There are also lights which make it a magical site at night. There is a garden area around the fountain where you can sit and admire the fountain.

Sadly the gates to the garden where the fountain is installed were closed on the day on the day we chose to include it as part of our walking route.

After completing my Queen Elizabeth II memorial walking challenge; 96k (60 miles) by virtually walking from Sonning Common to London, I retraced my steps on the virtual route from London back to Windsor (just under 29 miles). I concluded my challenge with a ‘real’ walk along the 2.64 miles ‘Long Walk’ from the Windsor Castle Cambridge gate entrance to the Copper Horse statue of King George III.

We enjoyed the views and seeing the deer herd as we got closer to the large statue of King George III that is at the far end of the walk. I enjoyed the sense of achievement and reflected on Queen Elizabeth II as I took in the view from the elevated location before walking the pathway back to Windsor.

My medal didn’t arrive in time for it to be presented at the end of The LongWalk . When it arrived I had it presented in one of my favourite local places, Hodnet Hall Gardens which also has lovely tree lined walks.

All the proceeds of medal purchases were equally donated between selected Queen’s Animal Charities. I have made additional donations to two of them; RSPB and the Dogs Trust. I have also made a donation to The Queens Green Canopy which was an initiative to plant trees to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The initiative has now been extended so that trees can be planted in memoriam to honour Her Majesty.

I chose a local route to complete my memorial walk in honour of the late Queen Elizabeth II.  The walk was perfect with both sunshine and showers.

I will now retrace my steps on my virtual route from London back to Windsor (just under 29 miles), concluding with a ‘real’ walk along the ‘Long Walk’ from Windsor Castle to the Copper Horse statue of King George III.

The sun had got its hat on, a perfect excuse for me to visit the walled garden at Attingham Park. I arrived in time for lunch which I enjoyed sitting outside in the sunshine. After a leisurely stroll around the walled garden I took the pathway to the mile walk, another favourite location of mine within Attingham Park.

After driving my mum to a couple of appointments I walked to my local Parish Church to see floral tributes to Queen Elizabeth II that had been placed on a commemorative stone in the Garden of Rest. The garden was created in 1953/54 to mark the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the stone marks the occasion.

After visiting the Flaxmill we weren’t ready to go home so we set off towards the mere at Ellesmere, deciding to stop at the nearby Colemere. We enjoyed a pleasant walk around the mere which is surrounded by mature woodland.

Cole Mere was formed at the end of the last Ice Age. 10,000 years ago. It is a kettlehole; which are created by large chunks of ice left behind the main glacier. These melt more slowly and leave steep-sided, deep hole in the ground which subsequently fills with rainwater to create a mere. Unlike lakes, meres have no natural inflow or outflow of water and are fed by rainwater from their own mini-catchment.*

*from a sign next to the mere.

I am taking part in this virtual challenge to walk 96K (60 miles) in memory of Queen Elizabeth II. All profits from taking part in this challenge will be donated the many animal charities that The Queen supported.

I aim to complete the challenge before the end of September and when I have done so I will make a personal donation to one or more of those charities.

• You can find the challenge here.

Thank you for your long and selfless service to this country.  You were an amazing lady.

My thoughts are with the Royal family at this sad time.

I am sure that this evening’s glorious sunset was in honour of you.