Erection date: 21/5/2010
{Cut into the statue’s elliptical base:}
ELIZABETHAE PRIMAE REGINAE FUNDATRICIS NOSTRAE HANC IMAGINEM MUNIFICENTIA SOCIETATIS SCHOLARIS WESTMONASTERIENSIS MANDATAM ANNO POST COLLEGIUM CONDITUM CCCCLMODEDICAVIT VISITATRIX NOSTRA REGINA SECUNDA ELIZABETHA AD MMX.
SCULPSIT MATTHEW SPENDER ALUMNUS
{Translated as:}
Elizabeth II, our visitor, dedicated in the year 2010, the 450th anniversary of the foundation of the college, this statue of our foundress Elizabeth I, commissioned by the generosity of the Westminster School Society and sculpted by Matthew Spender, a former pupil.
Brought to our attention by Londonist's rather tongue-in-cheek post, though we see what they mean about the Polo mint. The sculptor is an old boy of the school.
8 feet tall, unveiled to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the granting of Westminster School's Royal Charter by Queen Elizabeth I. Old Westminster (2025: link now dead) shows the statue from the front and goes to some lengths to justify its rather unusual appearance.
Prince Phillip accompanied the Queen at the unveiling and, rumour has it that, as she pulled the cloth away, the Prince said "quick, put it back".
2025: We joined a tour of the school, which was excellent. While there we took a photo of the statue from the front but have decided not to replace our original photo which we took through the gated arch in 2016. Since that date some significant changes have taken place in the Yard. The statue is in roughly the same place, but a tree has been removed. This Flickr photo shows that the steps in our photo were around a tree. The steps and the tree have gone.
Site: Westminster School - entrance arches and Queen Elizabeth I statue (2 memorials)
SW1, Dean's Yard, Westminster School
The statue is in the private gated yard that can be seen through this arch. It's Little Dean's Yard but those in the school just call it 'Yard'. The 'arches' plaque is in the passageway between the arch and the gate. We've placed the pin midway between the arch and the statue.
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