Royal Family to mark Queen Elizabeth II centenary with memorial projects

Queen Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday on Tuesday is being marked with a programme that mixes commemoration with a practical push to refurbish public spaces across the United Kingdom. At the centre is the Queen Elizabeth Trust, a new UK-wide independent charity backed by a one-off £40 million government endowment and royal patronage from King Charles III.

The trust is intended to honour the late Queen’s lifelong commitment to public service, but its immediate purpose is contemporary. It will focus on regenerating shared spaces, including underused buildings, green spaces and neighbourhood hubs, in an effort to strengthen local communities. Sir Damon Buffini is the founding chair, and the centenary plans also include a national memorial in St James’s Park and a digital memorial that will allow the public to add their own memories of Queen Elizabeth II.

The memorial programme is designed to turn remembrance into a visible public presence in London. Foster + Partners has drawn up the design recommendations for the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial, which will include a sculpture, a family of gardens through St James’s Park and a translucent glass unity bridge. The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee is being advised by figures including Lord Janvrin, while sculptor Karen Newman has been appointed to create a new sculpture of the late monarch.

Alongside the memorial plans, Buckingham Palace has opened Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style at the King’s Gallery, an exhibition that began on April 10 and runs until October 18. It brings together more than 300 items from the late Queen’s wardrobe, with nearly half shown publicly for the first time. The display traces how she used clothing as a form of soft diplomacy and as an expression of national identity. King Charles III and Queen Camilla are scheduled to visit the exhibition on April 20, ahead of the main centenary events.

On Tuesday, the King will also host 100-year-olds who share Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday at Buckingham Palace, where the centenarians will receive birthday cards in person. Later, the Royal Family will review the memorial recommendations with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and members of the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, then host a reception for guests from patronages including Cancer Research UK, the British Red Cross Society, the Jockey Club, the Royal Kennel Club and the Army Benevolent Fund.

The Princess Royal is due to open the Queen Elizabeth II Garden in Regent’s Park, a two-acre, fully accessible space opening to the public on April 27. With its circular pond, flowers linked to the late Queen and climate-resilient planting, the garden extends the centenary beyond ceremonial tribute and into a permanent public asset.