What’s Being Done To Mark The Late Queen Elizabeth II’s 100th Birthday?
By
39 minutes ago
A new national memorial is being unveiled.
King Charles has led the centenary commemorations for Queen Elizabeth II with a personal video message, while plans for a national memorial in St James’s Park, a new charity and a digital memorial have all been unveiled to honour her legacy.
Tuesday 21 April 2026: 100 Years Since Queen Elizabeth’s Birth
What would have been Queen Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday has been marked with a blend of public tribute and private affection, reflecting both the scale of her reign and the intimacy of the royal family’s loss. King Charles recorded a video message in which he called his late mother his ‘darling Mama’ and said she would have been ‘troubled’ by many aspects of modern life. The message, filmed at Balmoral, was released to coincide with the anniversary and adds a personal note to the official commemorations.
View this post on Instagram
A New Charity
Among the major announcements is a new charity, The Queen Elizabeth Trust, created to support places central to community life, including community centres and green spaces. The trust is being launched with a one-off endowment of £40million, according to the Cabinet Office, and is intended to continue the late Queen’s commitment to public service in a practical, long-term way. Alongside it, a digital memorial will invite people around the world to share memories of Elizabeth II and connect them to moments and places from her reign.
St James’s Park Memorial
The centrepiece of the physical tributes is the planned national memorial in St James’s Park, which has now moved forward after planning approval and final recommendations from the memorial committee. The scheme will include a permanent memorial in central London, with statues of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip among its features. King Charles and Queen Camilla are due to review the designs at the British Museum.
(c) Getty
What’s Happening At Buckingham Palace?
The anniversary is not being marked by stone and ceremony alone. The King and Queen Camilla are also hosting a gathering at Buckingham Palace, where birthday cards will be presented to guests in honour of the occasion.
The commemorations also include a fashion-led tribute, with the King and Queen Camilla seen examining the Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style exhibition at Buckingham Palace, which charts the late Queen’s public image through her wardrobe. From her christening gown to the famously bright coats and hats of her later years, the display offers a visual shorthand for a reign that was symbolised by the late Queen’s iconic ensembles.
A date is yet to be confirmed for the permanent memorial in St James’ Park, but the digital memorial is now live at queenelizabeth.com
