- Queen Elizabeth would have celebrated her 98th birthday on 21 April, and to pay tribute to her, a statue was unveiled in the small English county of Rutland.
- The large bronze statue, by Hywel Brân Pratley, shows the youthful monarch accompanied by her beloved pet Corgis.
- As part of the unveiling ceremony, a sizable group of guests attended, along with dogs from the Welsh Corgi League.
Queen Elizabeth would have celebrated her 98th birthday on 21 April, and to pay tribute to her, a statue was unveiled in the small English county of Rutland.
The large bronze statue, by Hywel Brân Pratley, shows the youthful monarch accompanied by her beloved pet Corgis.
"The 2.1m bronze statue of Queen Elizabeth has been commissioned by the Lord-Lieutenant [Dr Sarah Furness] and funded by donations from businesses and members of the public," said the Rutland website, ahead of the unveiling.
"It will be England's first permanent memorial to Her Late Majesty and will go on display outside Oakham Library on Sunday 21 April," they added.
About $155 000 (just under R3 million) was fundraised for the project to be realised, according to People.
According to The Telegraph, Pratley said at the unveiling: "The plinth is designed to be sat on and I can see the statue becoming popular with the Instagram generation, and why not? It will make a perfect backdrop for pictures and people will be able to reach up and pat a dog or, if small enough, even sit in its back."
Furness also spoke about the significance of the statue at the unveiling.
"We are witnessing a piece of history today with the first statue of Queen Elizabeth to be commissioned since her death and who gave us 70 years of exemplary service," she told The Telegraph.
"Rutland may be a small county, but the response to this had been huge with contributions from local businesses and individuals of varying sizes," she said.
As part of the unveiling ceremony, a sizable group of guests attended along with dogs from the Welsh Corgi League.