In tribute to the British sovereign, who died on September 8, 2022, a statue in his honor was unveiled in Northern Ireland two days before the anniversary of his death.
Elizabeth II died two years ago. In honor of the anniversary of his death, on Friday 6 September, a statue was unveiled in the gardens of Antrim Castle in Northern Ireland. The bronze sculpture shows her in a Barbour skirt and jacket, wearing her shoes, her head covered by a scarf. Clothes we knew well. Beside her is her husband, Prince Philip, and her two corgis, her beloved dogs. Strangely enough, this news was not shared on the social networks of Buckingham Palace, which, however, published a photo of the late queen in memory of her death. Did the royal family not like the statue? Nothing is clear anymore…
Proud of their order, Antrim and Newtown Abbey Council posted a video of the unveiling on their Instagram account. Notably, Anthony “Anto” Brennan is pictured next to his work. The North Belfast-born artist is known for his chess sets featuring Northern Irish politicians. As soon as the video was published, there were mostly negative comments, and according to The BBC: then deactivated. Today, only a few laudatory comments remain.
“Absolute disgrace”
To judge the English, and particularly the Irish, among whom the statue sits, one has to look at the Instagram page; Belfast Telegraphdaily newspaper in Northern Ireland. “Cheap, flashy shit. Maybe a school project. There should be a moratorium on all public bronze sculptures”; “Lol is this for real? An absolute disgrace,” we can read in the comments of the photo of the sculpture.
“The face just doesn’t look like him,” Eddie Smith, a 52-year-old laborer from the town, told AFP. The statue “looks nothing like her, the corgis are better made than the Queen in my opinion,” said Lorraine Barker, a 59-year-old English tourist. A sentiment shared by Noel Wilson, 62, and his wife Dorothy, from neighboring Ballymena. . The pose and her clothes make her “look like an old woman going to the market to buy potatoes,” quipped 50-year-old Hungarian tourist Gabor László.
If some go so far as to suggest removing the statue, the council does not allow itself to be dismantled. Paul Dunlop, Deputy Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, answered the question of BBC News. Words that repeat the press release published by the municipality and which the BBC was able to consult, where it recognizes that “art can sometimes provoke different opinions, but it is important to emphasize that the sculpture has been warmly welcomed by many who have seen it. personally.” “The statue magnificently represents Her Majesty’s grace and fortitude and is a fitting tribute to her extraordinary life and reign,” it added.
Source: Le Figaro
