Calls made for statue of Queen Elizabeth II to be put up in Portsmouth

A motion will be proposed at Tuesday's (October 11) Portsmouth City Council meeting which will urge efforts to honour her contribution and connection to the city.

The Queen was a regular visitor to Portsmouth, taking a keen interest in the Royal Navy and, in recent years, the aircraft carrier that bears her name.

'Her late majesty Queen Elizabeth II was an inspiration for our nation and one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known,' it will say. 'There is currently just one full-size statue of Her Majesty in the entire UK; it would be an honour for Portsmouth to be one of the first to publicly commemorate her.'

Should it be passed, the motion, which will be proposed by councillor John Smith and seconded by councillor Benedict Swann, will call on the cabinet to launch a consultation to design a 'suitable' monument. It says the question of its location could also be included.

Planning permission and permission from the royal family would be required before it could be erected.

'The council believes this statue will be a fitting tribute to her late majesty and recognises the historical importance of this memorial statue and its social and educational potential, as a symbol of her devotion to duty and standing as the nation's greatest diplomat,' the motion will add.

At the end of last month, the Lib Dem council leader Gerald Vernon-Jackson said the council would consider the potential to commission a statue and rename public buildings and parks in memory of the Queen.

‘We have nothing specific [planned] at the moment but I think there will be a move for cities across the country and that this will probably involve statues,’ he said. ‘This would be in the same way as we have one for Queen Victoria.'

He added that there was the potential for councils across the country to work together to make it more cost effective.

The council has already agreed to plant a memorial tree in Victoria Park.