The End, which was displayed on the Fourth Plinth until recently
(Picture: Alamy Stock Photo)WILL Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth become home to a new statue of Queen Elizabeth II? It has long been rumoured that the space will host a statue of the late Queen on horseback, with ex-London mayor Ken Livingstone claiming in 2013 this was the plan.
The plinth was first built for a statue of King William IV but a lack of funds meant it lay empty for 150 years. Since 1999, it has become a high-profile space for public artwork, hosting temporary statues. These are chosen by the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group, part of the mayor’s office.
The plinth is currently empty, with Heather Phillipson’s whipped cream sculpture The End recently removed. An anti-colonial work by Samson Kambalu reimagining a 1914 photograph of the Malawian Baptist preacher and pan-Africanist John Chilembwe standing next to European missionary John Chorley, while still wearing his hat (then forbidden for Africans in the presence of Europeans) was to be installed this week but it was delayed after the Queen’s death.
In 2024, a sculpture by Teresa Margolles with casts of the faces of 850 trans people is due to be on the spot.
Previously, there has been serious debate over whether statues of Nelson Mandela and Margaret Thatcher could be put on the plinth. During the pandemic, presenter Nick Knowles suggested a memorial to Captain Sir Tom Moore.
In 2008, there was discussion of a permanent statue in memory of the Battle of Britain hero Sir Keith Park. Boris Johnson, then mayor, expressed support for the plan, which was then rowed back over "complex planning issues".
In 2013, Ken Livingstone said: “The understanding is that the fourth plinth is being reserved for Queen Elizabeth II.”
A spokesperson for the Fourth Plinth noted today that there were “no plans” in place for the plinth to become the site of a permanent work, and that Kambalu’s work, titled Antelope, would be installed shortly, having been delayed out of respect for the period of national mourning.
Rough justice for new minister
Brandon Lewis became Justice Secretary last week but he had a tough first day. After giving a speech to civil servants, Lewis asked for questions. He was met with a barrage of queries about how the justice system will work during the barristers’ strike. After an awkward silence, he joked about starting with “easy questions”, saying he hoped to be asked his favourite sport. Then he went to his office.
Renaming scramble after King’s accession
WITH Charles III as King, His Majesty’s Theatre in Haymarket has announced its new name in his honour. But not everyone is changing. Leicester Square’s Prince Charles cinema has posted a defiant note in the window: “No, we are not changing our name”. There are also roads named after Prince Charles in Brent Cross and Blackheath, as well as a Prince Charles eye unit in Windsor. Can we expect a renaming scramble?
Harry Styles and Emma Corrin out in Canada
The Crown star Emma Corrin and singer Harry Styles were at Toronto Film Festival last night to launch their new movie My Policeman. Set in the 1950s, it has Styles as a gay policeman who marries a woman but has a secret affair. The film has had mixed reviews. The pair, who have the same stylist, wore quirky outfits: Emma a black bodysuit, and Harry a green handbag and Gucci suit.
Fellow Crown alumna Olivia Colman was there too to present awards, posing with director Sam Mendes.
Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain were promoting their new film The Good Nurse.
