On Sunday afternoon in Oakham, a quaint English market town, hundreds of local residents stood behind a temporary barrier and craned their necks to see the 50 or so dogs waddling past in the local library’s gardens.
The yapping mutts were just a sideshow, however, to the main event, which was announced from a dais by Sarah Furness, a local dignitary: the unveiling of Britain’s first memorial statue to Queen Elizabeth II.
The seven-foot bronze work, by the London-based sculptor Hywel Pratley, shows the queen in flowing robes, with three corgis at her feet.
“What most of us remember about Queen Elizabeth is her warmth,” Furness said in a speech.
“By showing Queen Elizabeth’s love of dogs, we show her humanity,” she added.
Persons:
Sarah Furness, Britain’s, Queen Elizabeth II, Hywel Pratley, Queen Elizabeth, ” Furness, Queen Elizabeth’s, ”
Organizations:
corgi
Locations:
Oakham, London