A bronze sculpture that was supposed to show Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II, and two corgis has angered some because they believe it doesn’t resemble the real people.
The contentious monument was made by North Belfast artist Anto Brennan, who is well-known for his chess sets featuring notable politicians from Northern Ireland. It was inaugurated on Saturday in Antrim Castle Gardens.
But locals hit out at the piece, with one saying, ‘Whoever signed that off needs their eyes tested’.
Others said the prince and dogs ‘look nice’ but the figure meant to be the late Queen doesn’t look like her and there’s ‘something not right’ about it.
Comments on a Facebook post announcing the sculpture have been turned off after a flood of mocking remarks, with one person saying the Queen looked more like Mrs Doubtfire from the 1993 comedy starring Robin Williams.
Comments on a post announcing the sculpture have been turned off after a flood of mocking remarks, with one person saying the Queen looked more like Mrs Doubtfire from the 1993 comedy starring Robin Williams (pictured).
The proposal for the sculpture of the late Queen and her corgis came in January 2023, adding to the likeness of Prince Phillip, which was already there.
The Deputy Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Paul Dunlop attended the unveiling. He said: ‘It’s down to personal taste; everyone has their own opinion but it is what the sculpture represents that is important.’
But when the sculpture was unveiled, the mayor, Neil Kelly, described it as a ‘beautiful statue’.
When the council posted photos of the statue on Facebook, locals jumped at the chance to express their opinions.
The council posted: ‘The sculpture captures Her Majesty in a dignified pose, reflecting her grace, steadfastness, and lifelong dedication to public service.
‘One of the first of its kind in the UK, the sculpture was created to commemorate Her Late Majesty, who passed away two years earlier, on 8 September 2022.
‘It fittingly stands adjacent to the statue of her beloved husband, Prince Philip, on display at the Parterre Garden within Antrim Castle Gardens for the public to enjoy.
‘To complete the scene, the royal couple is joined by two of the more than 30 dogs that Her Majesty owned during her lifetime.’
But one sassy comment said, ‘At least the dogs look good’ and another joked: ‘Think you need to ask [discounted online retailer] Temu for your money back.’
A third posted: ‘Looks more like Mrs Doubtfire than our late Queen.’
Another slammed the art piece as offensive and said: ‘Both need removed, melted down and redone. That’s actually offensive.’
This surpasses even the terrible Diana statue that was presented. The best action would be to conceal it in a garage and begin over.
The expressions on their faces would have been hilarious, so it’s a shame they are no longer with us. Queen Victoria would not have been amused! And I can’t imagine what jokes Prince Philip would have come out with.
Do these so-called artists have to show any of their previous work to ensure that the final work will at least bear a passing resemblance? Or is it just bodge it and run? But this is just typical of councils, squandering large amounts of money by employing someone local who doesn’t quite live up to expectations, then they try and defend their substandard work before eventually having to concede and pay even more money to have the work re-done properly.
This is dreadful work and a lost opportunity to create a legacy. The stance is correct, but the figures are static, rigid, and formless, almost Soviet-like, and the features of the Queen bear very little resemblance to her, and the Duke fares little better.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 