It was meant to honor Queen Elizabeth II on the second anniversary of her death. But the new Queen Elizabeth statue in Belfast, Northern Ireland, has raised eyebrows around the world and received harsh criticism, especially on social media. Reactions range from “not good” to “actually offensive”—and worse.
This comes just a few months after the first official oil painting of King Charles caused a stir, making many royal fans literally see red. But are the negative voices really justified—and what else is there to know about the latest piece of royal art?
Read on to learn about the controversial Queen Elizabeth statue, its artist and the meaning behind his work. And yes, we’re sharing some of the nice and not-so-nice things people are saying about it. (Because you know you’re curious!)
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1. Elizabeth had a strong bond with Northern Ireland
It’s no coincidence that Belfast decided to honor the late queen. The monarch visited Northern Ireland 25 times, both as princess and queen.
She first touched down on July 17, 1945, shortly after World War II ended. Though her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, accompanied her on that initial visit, she returned a year later for her first solo trip outside Great Britain. In early June 1953, a month after being crowned, Elizabeth visited Belfast as a monarch—an event so momentous that the governor of Northern Ireland declared it a public holiday. The queen returned several times before, during and after the Troubles, the Northern Ireland conflict.
Her last visit was in June 2016, when she went to Giant’s Causeway, a stunning stone formation on the northeast coast, and took a steam train tour similar to the one she took during her coronation visit. She intended to return in October 2021 but canceled on the advice of her doctors.
The queen was fond of Northern Ireland all her life. “Even in the most troubled of times, I have been heartened by the warmth and good humor of the people I have met,” she said during a visit in 2002.
2. The queen’s beloved corgis are part of the sculpture
The two pups at the queen’s feet are true eye-catchers, and they serve an important purpose: They pay tribute to her enduring love for her many corgis.
Elizabeth’s love for dogs is well documented. When she turned 18, she received a corgi named Susan from her father, kicking off a legacy: a line of royal corgis that lasted for at least 14 generations of dogs.
According to the palace website, Elizabeth owned more than 30 corgis and dorgis (a crossbreed of a corgi and a dachshund) during her lifetime. After she passed, her dogs moved in with Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who still live together in Windsor.
3. Artist Anton Brennan is mainly known for chessboards
The Queen Elizabeth statue was created by Belfast sculptor Anton “Anto” Brennan, who made a name for himself with satirical artwork featuring prominent politicians in Ireland and with eye-catching chessboards.
His most famous work is a chess set based on the Good Friday Agreement, the 1998 political deal designed to end the violent conflict in Northern Ireland after 30 years. The board features world leaders—including England’s late queen and the prime minister at the time, Tony Blair—as chess pieces and now sells for 450 pounds (approximately $590). Brennan also created a Titanic-themed chessboard and one for the war in Afghanistan, which features the then heads of state.
Brennan was commissioned by the local Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council in Belfast. Apart from the satirical chess piece, he had never created a sculpture of the queen before.
4. The queen is wearing her “Balmoral outfit”
We all remember Elizabeth wearing bright dresses and equally bright hats. But the statue shows her in rather casual clothes: tweeds, wellies and her trademark silk headscarf. These may not be her most glam garments (or most recognizable), but they reveal a side of the queen we saw less often. In fact, the Queen Elizabeth statue’s getup resembles the outfit she usually chose when vacationing at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, her favorite of all the royal estates and residences.
The late monarch had a soft spot for Scotland and the Highlands—she spent a significant part of her childhood there and returned every summer during her reign. The locals regularly spotted her walking her corgis in her tweed-and-wellies combo. Notably, Balmoral is also where Elizabeth died on Sept. 8, 2022, at the age of 96.
5. The statue reflects her passion for the outdoors
Sure, Elizabeth’s main residence was in London. But by all reports, she was a country girl at heart. “Although her life was devoted to public service, Queen Elizabeth was perhaps happiest when enjoying outdoor life, particularly walking in the countryside and spending time with her dogs,” Belfast’s deputy mayor, Paul Dunlop, said during the statue-unveiling ceremony.
And there’s no better way to pay tribute to the monarch’s love for the British outdoors than with a statue situated in a 400-year-old garden brimming with flowers and trees. The Queen Elizabeth statue stands in Belfast’s Antrim Castle Gardens, just a stone’s throw from the Platinum Jubilee Garden, which opened in 2022 to celebrate the monarch’s 70 years on the throne.
6. The Prince Philip figure was made by the same artist
The Queen Elizabeth statue stands adjacent to a statue of her husband, Prince Philip, which was created by Brennan in 2023. “Seeing these statues alongside each other today not only […] makes sure that her legacy as our longest ever reigning monarch lives on, and will be remembered by future generations, but it also reminds us of the bond between her and her consort, His Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh,” said David McCorkell, the late queen’s personal representative for the Northern Irish county Antrim.
Elizabeth and Philip were married for 73 years. And these side-by-side statues aren’t the only testament to their love: They’re also buried next to each other at Windsor Castle near London.
7. Royal fans think the statue looks like Mrs. Doubtfire
The unveiling of the Queen Elizabeth statue made headlines around the world—but the reactions were mixed, to say the least. Many royal fans thought the sculpture didn’t do the beloved monarch justice. The negative comments ranged from “dreadful” to “blooming awful” and “more of an insult than a tribute,” with one royal fan saying, “Whoever signed that off needs their eyes tested.”
One social media user went viral by joking that the statue looked like Mrs. Doubtfire, the cross-dressing nanny in the 1990s hit movie of the same name, played by the late Robin Williams.
But the council that commissioned the statue doesn’t agree. The official statement said the statue shows the monarch “in a dignified pose, reflecting her grace, steadfastness and lifelong dedication to public service,” However, it did acknowledge that “art can prompt diverse opinions.”
8. The queen statue is not the first to raise eyebrows
While the criticism of the queen’s sculpture might seem a bit harsh, it’s nothing compared with the response to an abstract statue of Philip: It’s been called the “worst artwork ever seen.” The piece, dubbed “The Don,” shows Philip wearing an academic cap and gown and was initially erected without permission in front of an office building in Cambridge in 2014—and therefore had to be taken down.
Though the piece was created to celebrate Philip’s more than three decades as chancellor of Cambridge University, it wasn’t a welcome tribute. The local council branded it “possibly the poorest-quality work that has ever been submitted.”
In 2023, the controversial statue was erected again … and again failed to get planning permission. The council has once again ruled it must go.
9. The royal family hasn’t commented on the statue
So what do those who knew the queen best, namely her family, think about the new statue? It seems this is a situation in which the royal etiquette rule “never complain, never explain” applies. As of now, no senior royal has publicly voiced their opinion. According to the unofficial royal guidebook, members of the “Firm” are expected to always stay neutral, keep a straight face and avoid controversy.
It remains to be seen if any of the royals will check out the statue next time they are in Northern Ireland. So far, there’s no Belfast date set in the royal diary.
10. There are only a few Queen Elizabeth statues in the U.K.
Considering she was the longest-reigning monarch in British history, you’d think that there would be lots of sculptures of the queen placed around the country. Surprisingly, there are only a handful.
There’s one in Windsor Great Park, which was unveiled in 2003 and shows the monarch riding a horse. Shortly after the queen’s passing, York unveiled a stone statue that is now on display in the city’s cathedral. A year later, the Royal Albert Hall in London added a bronze statue of Elizabeth and Philip at its entrance, while Oakham in the East Midlands erected a bronze sculpture outside a library to celebrate what would have been the queen’s 98th birthday.
But more statues are in the works! Newcastle upon Tyne in northeastern England will present its bronze statue of the monarch in the Queens Gardens later this fall. And in 2026, when the queen would have turned 100 years old, a new sculpture will stand in St. James’s Garden, close to Buckingham Palace, her official London residence.
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Sources:
- BBC: “The Queen’s delight at many visits to Northern Ireland and the Republic”
- BBC: “‘It’s not good’: New royal statue divides opinion”
- BBC: “Queen Elizabeth’s memorial to be close to Palace”
- ITV News: “Queen’s visits to Northern Ireland as princess and monarch”
- Sky News: “New statue of Queen Elizabeth II divides opinion”
- Sky News: “Prince Philip ‘The Don’ statue to be removed for second time”
- Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council: “Sculpture of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II unveiled in Antrim Castle Gardens”
- Newcastle Under Lyme Borough Council: “New statue of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II commissioned”
- Belfast Telegraph: “NI ‘piece process’ chess board for sale with key players from Good Friday Agreement era”
- The Independent: “Queen Elizabeth II statue mocked for looking more like Mrs. Doubtfire”
