Plans to erect Queen Elizabeth II and Paddington Bear statue abandoned

Ben McCaffrey
Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:42:10 +0000

Plans to erect a statue of Queen Elizabeth II and Paddington Bear in Northern Ireland have been abandoned.

Causeway Coast and Glens Council had passed motions in December 2023, in which they voted to "honour and enshrine her memory in tangible commemoration" by commissioning a "substantial permanent memorial".

The motion initially called for a memorial to be erected before or during 2026.

It detailed a bust that would depict Her Late Majesty during her coronation and "located in a prominent and visible location".

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"This statue will be a fitting tribute by the people of the borough to the late monarch whose service to our country may never be matched again," the motion read.

There was later a separate commemorative project, depicting Queen Elizabeth during the iconic meeting with Paddington Bear.

Moira Quinn, Director of Corporate Services, suggested at the time the two projects could be "merged".

However, plans for the late Queen and the fictional character to be immortalised have now been scrapped due to copyright issues.

The original plans for a bust have also come to a halt, with local artists showing a lack of interest in taking on the council's ideas.

Subcommittee chair Michelle Knight-McQuillan had previously mentioned there could be a fear among artists that the statue would not be "good enough".

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"I think for artists, particularly students, it’s a great opportunity to showcase what they could do," Ms Quinn defiantly stated.

It comes as plans for a memorial were unveiled in memory of the late Queen last week during celebrations for the 100th anniversary. Queen Elizabeth II and her late husband Prince Philip will be remembered in St James's Park, London, while a new glass bridge will be lifted into the area during the night.

Last year, the Deputy Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Cllr Tanya Stirling, planted a series of commemorative trees in honour of the late Queen.

She visited each of the council's seven District Electoral Areas to plant an array of native oak trees.

The leafy plans aimed to leave a lasting reminder of Her Late Majesty to future generations, and proved much easier to organise than a statue in her memory.

"I am so proud to attend tree planting ceremonies across the Borough in commemoration of Queen Elizabeth II," Cllr Stirling said at the time.

"I am delighted that Council has honoured the late Queen in this way with commemorative trees, following on from the planting initiative in 2022, which saw 14,000 new trees planted as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy.

"We now have these special areas throughout the Borough as a living reminder of Queen Elizabeth II, highlighting the significant role she played in many people’s lives during her 70-year reign."