Queen Elizabeth II statue mocked for looking more like Mrs Doubtfire
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A new statue of the late Queen Elizabeth II has been the subject of mockery and indignation – and even likened to Mrs Doubtfire after its controversial unveiling.
Slammed for its posture, face, and alleged failure to resemble the late queen “in any way”, the bonze artwork has been causing controversy since it was unveiled at Antrim Castle Gardens in Northern Ireland on Friday (6 September).
Created by Belfast artist Anto Brennan, the council said the statue, which is accompanied by renderings of the late Prince Philip and the Queen’s beloved corgis, shows the queen “in a dignified pose, reflecting her grace, steadfastness and lifelong dedication to public service.”
The pieces were erected in tribute to the late queen, who passed away at the age of 96 on 8 September 2022 in Balmoral, Scotland.
She was the longest-reigning monarch in British history.
But visitors and commentators alike were left less than impressed by the rendering of the late queen, who was depicted wearing headscarf and padded jacket similar to those she was often photographed in while walking her dogs.
Some even went as far as to demand that the statue be melted down.
According to the BBC, Vera McWilliam, Antrim and Newtownabbey councillor, said: “We have to be honest, it does not resemble the queen in any shape or form.”
A local visitor, meanwhile, suggested that those responsible for the statues “need their eyes tested”.
“Whoever signed that off needs their eyes tested. It’s not good.
“I would take it away. It doesn’t do anything in memory for Her Majesty, so definitely I would remove it.”
One visitor from London said that while they appreciated the sentiment behind the statue, its lack of resemblance to the queen was hard to deny in their eyes.
But they did describe the other pieces in the installation as “nice”.
“As it is in her memory I guess it is a good thing but it doesn’t look like her,” they said. “The dogs and Prince Philip look nice, but the queen, it doesn’t look like her.”
The statue has proved so controversial that Newtownabbey Borough Council was forced to turn the comments off after sharing the new artworks on Facebook.
Paul Dunlop, Deputy Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, said: “It’s down to personal taste, everyone has their own opinion, but it is what the sculpture represents that is important.”
The controversy surrounding the statue continued on Twitter/X, where users questioned its suitability as a tribute.
Reacting to the statues, one user joked: “Should have gone to Specsavers.” [sic]
A second meanwhile dubbed the statues a “waste of bronze” while a third said the pieces were proof that the material should not be used to depict people.
“That’s the funniest thing I’ve seen for a long time,” remarked a fourth.
A spokesperson for Newtownabbey Borough Council told The Independent: “The Council is delighted with the generally positive response to the new Queen Elizabeth II sculpture in Antrim Castle Gardens.
“It acknowledges that art can sometimes spark diverse opinions, but it’s important to emphasise that the sculpture has been warmly received by most who have seen it in person.
“The statue beautifully captures Her Majesty’s grace and steadfastness, standing as a fitting tribute to her extraordinary life and reign.”
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Royal flop! Queen Elizabeth statue is a ‘monstrosity’ that ‘does not resemble her in any shape or form,’ locals say
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God save the Queen — from bad art!
A new statue of Queen Elizabeth II has sparked a royal uproar among locals and elected officials in Northern Ireland — who say the artwork is a disrespectful “monstrosity” that “looks nothing like” Her Majesty.
“We have to be honest, it does not resemble the Queen in any shape or form,” Newtownabbey Councilor Vera McWilliam told BBC News.
The bronze sculpture, made by artist Anto Brennan, depicts the late Queen wearing a headscarf as she stands next to Prince Philip and two corgis at the Antrim Castle Gardens in Belfast.
The statue was unveiled on social media this week — and widely slammed as a stone-cold flop.
“I was rather confused who it was actually. If there wasn’t the caption underneath it probably would have taken about five minutes to work out who it was. There’s no similarity,” Richard Morris, an art historian and critic, told the Times of London. “The representation I think is entirely wrong, they really should have done better.”
“A gigantic garden gnome would have been better — a set of those would have been rather interesting,” he added.
Meanwhile, social media users fumed that the art was “definitely not the tribute she deserved” and called it an “insult to Her Majesty’s memory.”
“Whoever signed that off needs their eyes tested. It’s not good,” another commenter snarked.
The statue was commissioned by the town of Antrim in January 2023 to stand next to a pre-existing bronze sculpture of Prince Philip.
It’s meant to portray a young version of the Queen holding a handbag and gazing into the distance as her dogs look up at her.
But local critics said the statue’s face features a too-prominent nose and too-puffy cheeks to resemble the royal.
“The Queen is unrecognizable. She’s a catalogue countrywoman in a quilted gilet [vest]. The nose is too strong, the jaw too broad, the cheeks too swollen,” wrote London Times critic Laura Freeman.
But the artist did carve out one success, she said.
“Mind you, the corgis are good,” Freeman wrote.
A spokeswoman for the town council said responses to the new art had been “generally positive.”
“Art can sometimes spark diverse opinions, but it’s important to emphasize that the sculpture has been warmly received by most who have seen it in person,” she said.“The statue beautifully captures Her Majesty’s grace and steadfastness, standing as a fitting tribute to her extraordinary life and reign.”
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С умилением и отраслевыми пожеланиями, Dimitriy.
