Abstract
Not long ago, we covered the emergence of the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square in London, and its successful rise as one of the most important art venues in the world. Its beginning as an art space in 1999 and its recognition over a very short period of time was remarkable in itself. This is especially notable in that it stands in front of London’s National Gallery in Trafalgar Square and has received hundreds of thousands of visitors since the first sculpture was unveiled.
The Plinth had remained empty for almost 170 years—the intended statue of King William IV was never completed due to a lack of funds. Recently, in the British press, there has been a good deal of discussion about the Plinth and the possibility that it might be considered for a place to put a statue of Queen Elizabeth II. The suggestion to use the Plinth to place such a statue has come up before. It had also been suggested as a site to place a statue of Margaret Thatcher and later, a statue of Nelson Mandela was suggested. The reason it was not considered at the time is that the Greater London Authority, which controls the site, noted that it was keeping it clear for a possible statue for the queen.
Unfortunately, using this location for a statue for the Queen would be a poor decision on two accounts. First, it would be an enormous loss of a world-respected site of major, internationally attended and admired art in London.
Second, but more importantly, Queen Elizabeth II, one of Britain’s most loved and respected monarchs, who created a second Elizabethan era in her own right, should be commemorated in a spectacular monument. The Queen’s memorial should be on a central piece of land that would not only create space for an important monument for her, but would also have adequate room to house an interpretation building that could be part of her memorial. This would provide an important commemoration where the public could visit as well as have an opportunity to view an in-depth presentation of the Queen’s role in British history.
We believe those charged with making this decision would understand the importance of the Fourth Plinth to British sculpture, as well as understand the need for an artistic commemoration of the Queen’s life and contributions to be placed in a central independent setting. Ultimately, however, the decision about the memorial rests with the royal family. ●
Empty Fourth Plinth, Trafalgar Square, London. Photo: Matt Brown, CC BY
2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.
