A new statue honoring the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip has been installed in a public park in Northern Ireland, but it’s generating mixed reactions online due to its questionable likeness.
Sculpted by Anto Brennan, the statue was recently unveiled in Antrim Castle Gardens, near Belfast, a place Queen Elizabeth visited for the last time in 2016 with her husband.
Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council
Officials praised the statue, with the mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey declaring it a fitting tribute to Her Majesty’s life and connection to the borough. However, many social media users have taken to platforms like X (formerly Twitter) to express their disbelief and humorously critique the sculpture’s resemblance.
Comments ranged from “What a shame. A lovely bronze statue of a complete stranger” to comparisons with the beloved British claymation characters from Wallace and Gromit and even mentions of the sci-fi show Thunderbirds.
Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council/Tim Graham Picture Library/Getty Images
Calls for the statue’s removal have also appeared, with some commenters suggesting it looks more like a taxidermy project gone wrong than a royal tribute.
This unveiling occurs alongside the announcement of a national memorial for Queen Elizabeth, set to be built in St. James’s Park in London. The site has historical significance, located next to Buckingham Palace and the memorials of Queen Elizabeth’s parents.
While designs for this national memorial have yet to be revealed, it will aim to reflect the queen’s “legacy of service and devotion,” as stated by the British Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer.