Will fourth plinth host memorial for Philip?
COVERED in gold leaf and sitting under a 177ft-tall pavilion, Queen victoria’s monument to her late husband Albert is London’s most famous shrine to a departed royal.
But contemporary courtiers are eschewing the epic grandeur of the Albert Memorial in favour of a striking location in the task of planning a posthumous tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh.
Trafalgar Square’s iconic fourth plinth – home to a rotating display of contemporary art at one of the capital’s busiest tourist areas – is reportedly being lined up as the spot for a memorial to Prince Philip.
The plinth, in the northwest corner of the square, was originally designed to hold an equestrian statue of William Iv.
The statue was never commissioned and it has instead been used to display some unusual artworks, from a bright blue cockerel to a creepily extended thumbs up cast in bronze. Perhaps most famously, the plinth displayed a gigantic nude
‘Rumoured it was for the Queen’
marble sculpture of pregnant artist Alison Lapper.
Antony Gormley also oversaw an eccentric project allowing members of the public to do whatever they wanted on top of it for an hour.
Philip, who is now 98, retired from his royal duties in 2017. He had attended over 22,000 solo engagements and became the longest-serving consort in British history.
Although any plans to commemorate his life are top secret, it was yesterday claimed that British sculptors Paul Day, Martin Jennings and Philip Jackson may be in the running to receive such an important commission.
However, past rumours have hinted that the fourth plinth was being reserved for a memorial tribute to the Queen.
A source told The Sunday Times: ‘A statue of the Queen on the fourth plinth was the original plan. But in the past couple of years everyone has been made aware that it could also be for the Duke of Edinburgh.’
Buckingham Palace declined to comment.
A spokesman for the Mayor of London said: ‘The fourth plinth has been delighting Londoners and visitors for the last 20 years with bold, imaginative artistic commissions. There are currently no plans for a permanent statue or sculpture of any description to occupy the plinth.’