'It's not good': New royal statue divides opinion

1 week ago 9

BBC The bronze sculpture of the royal mates and their 2 corgis successful the Parterre Garden astatine Antrim Castle Gardens, surrounded by flowers and nether a grey looking entity with trees successful the background.

The precocious queen (sculpture) is wearing a cardigan, scarf and carrying a handbag. She is holding her hands together.

The precocious king (sculpture) is wearing a suit.

The corgi dogs are sitting down, 1 is looking up astatine the queen and 1 is looking ahead.

A caller statue designed to commemorate Elizabeth II - the UK's longest-serving monarch - has received a mixed reception.

The bronze sculpture, created by northbound Belfast creator Anto Brennan, was unveiled successful Antrim Castle Gardens connected Saturday.

Since then, the statue of the precocious queen, Prince Philip and 2 corgis has attracted immoderate disapproval connected societal media and commentary from visitors to the County Antrim gardens.

Antrim and Newtownabbey Councillor Vera McWilliam told BBC News NI: “We person to beryllium honest, it does not lucifer the queen successful immoderate signifier oregon form.”

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council Press Release Anto Brennan posing with his sculpture. He is wearing a khaki sleeveless garment and beige chinos. He is grey with abbreviated hairsbreadth and a grey beard.

'Hope they got it for free'

Richard is wearing maroon Nike joggers and a achromatic hoody. He has a achromatic beard and is bald.

He has his hands connected his waist and is looking astatine the camera.

Richard from Antrim said that helium was "really disappointed" aft seeing the statue online and past coming to spot it with his wife.

"Whoever signed that disconnected needs their eyes tested. It's not good," helium added.

"I would instrumentality it away. It doesn’t bash thing successful representation for her majesty truthful decidedly I would region it."

Brenda successful beforehand of statue wearing achromatic trousers, a navy and achromatic garment and a pick jacket.

She has brownish hairsbreadth and achromatic glasses and a pearl driblet down earring.

She is smiling with her hands successful her pockets.

Brenda from Lisburn thinks that the statue should person been "made to look older" but "on the full it is truly nice" and "you inactive get what it represents and what it is about."

"It caught my oculus close away.

"You tin spot who they are, but I deliberation decidedly it should person been her conscionable earlier she died to seizure the full meaning of who she was and what she represented."

Alejandro is lasting smiling successful beforehand of the statue.

He is wearing a navy Wimbledon hat, navy waterproof overgarment with florescent yellowish zips.

Alejandro from London was visiting Antrim Castle Gardens with 2 friends from El Salvador.

He though the statue didn't "seem similar the queen."

"As it is successful her representation I conjecture it is simply a bully happening but it doesn’t look similar her.

"The dogs and Prince Philip look nice, but the queen, it doesn’t look similar her," helium added.

'Leave it the mode it is'

The household of 3 lasting successful beforehand of the sculptures.

Cheryl is wearing a achromatic stripy jumper, bluish jeans and she is carrying a pinkish purse and brownish brace of sunglasses. She has brownish hairsbreadth and a fringe. She is smiling.

Gordon is wearing sunglasses connected his head. He has brownish hairsbreadth and a subtle beard. He is wearing a achromatic hoody and bluish jeans. He is smiling.

Their lad is wearing a navy Jack & Jones hoody and achromatic trousers. He has abbreviated brownish hairsbreadth and is putting his thumb up, smiling.

Cheryl and Gordon from Saintfield said they liked the sculpture but had immoderate ideas astir however it could person been improved.

Cheryl said determination is "something not close astir her precocious assemblage posture and her close limb but it’s inactive beauteous to spot her".

Gordon added: "I wouldn’t person noticed that it didn’t look similar the queen but with seeing it connected Facebook and present that I spot it yes, it astir apt isn’t a existent reflection of her.

"It's conscionable the face, the remainder of the quality of her looks close but the look is possibly not a existent reflection of her.

"It is what it is, we each cognize who she is and what it’s meant to beryllium truthful I would conscionable permission it the mode it is."

Francis and Marie are lasting connected other sides of the sculptures.

Francis is tall, has grey abbreviated hairsbreadth and is wearing a achromatic puffer overgarment implicit a bluish t-shirt. He is wearing acheronian denim jeans. He is smiling.

Marie has pitchy achromatic hairsbreadth successful a bob cut. She is wearing glasses and is carrying a achromatic handbag. Her jumper is white, yellowish and grey and her shoes and trousers are black. She is smiling.

Francis and Marie from Magherafelt were precise affirmative astir the sculpture.

"It’s great, I deliberation they person it down to the tee," Francis told BBC News NI.

"They’ve got the queen arsenic she's young. I deliberation the 2 would beryllium precise pleased with it. And they’ve got the corgis each round.

"That is the queen, she loved being extracurricular and that’s wherefore there’s a grin connected her face."

Marie added that the statue "looks similar her erstwhile you spot her retired with the horses and dogs. It's much of her backstage life, much down to earth".

'It's down to idiosyncratic taste'

The statement implicit the sculpture began connected the comments conception of a societal media station by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council featuring the archetypal photos of the sculpture.

Comments person since been turned off.

The proposal to committee a sculpture of the precocious queen and her 2 corgis came successful January 2023.

There was already a bronze statue of Prince Philip successful the Parterre Garden.

The Deputy Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Paul Dunlop attended the unveiling of the caller statue.

He told BBC News NI: "It's down to idiosyncratic taste, everyone has their ain sentiment but it is what the sculpture represents that is important."

When the sculpture was unveiled, Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Neil Kelly, described it arsenic a "beautiful statue".

Its creator, Anthony 'Anto' Brennan, is champion known for his chess sets of salient Northern Irish governmental figures.

BBC News NI has approached Brennan for comment.

Read Entire Article