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Memorial angel sculpture unveiled for Queen Elizabeth II

A new memorial angel for Queen Elizabeth II has been installed in the House of Lords. The bronze sculpture is revealed on what would have been Her Majesty’s 100th birthday – 21 April 2026.

A bronze statue of an angel inside a richly decorated room. The sculpture has a pair of large wings unfurled behind them. In one hand, they hold a sprig on lily flowers with are gilded golden. In the other hand they hold an orb with a cross on top. There is lots of details in the skirt of the angel. In their chest is a small colourful shape, in red, yellow and blue. The sculpture is in front of pale stonework. To the left is part of a large wood and stained glass door. To the right is a comparatively small marble bust of a man, and a picture in a large gold frame, though the picture is in shadow.
May Flights of Angels Sing thee to thy Rest, bronze sculpture by Eleanor Crook, 2026. Artwork © Parliamentary Copyright, images courtesy of UK Parliament WOA 8072

The sculpture forms part of a new collection of works by six artists commemorating the Lying-in-State of the late monarch. These works are part of the Parliamentary Art Collection, and will go on display later in 2026.

A Memorial Angel

‘May Flights of Angels Sing Thee to Thy Rest’ is by sculptor Eleanor Crook. To learn more about the sculpture including it’s detailed symbolism and how it was made, visit our online feature all about the artwork.

The sculpture photographed from below, highlighting the face of the bronze angel, and the golden lilies they are holding in one hand. The lilies are in focus, and the rest of the angel, and the background, is slightly blurry. Behind we can see part of a large, wooden and glass door inside a stone and gold-paint archway.
A collection of faces sculpted in bronze. There are 10 faces visible, facing in a variety of directions. The faces and hair of each figure are part of a surface of bronze, they are placed above and around each other. The faces are diverse - one person wears glasses, another an eye patch. One person wears a head wrap, and other is a child.
Two detail shots of the sculpture – the golden lilies, and some of the faces inside the skirt of the angel. Photographs © House of Commons.

The Lord Faulkner of Worcester, Chair of the Lord Speaker’s Advisory Panel on Works of Art said:  

“We are honoured to welcome this remarkable memorial angel sculpture into the House of Lords. Eleanor Crook’s work offers a deeply thoughtful response to the historic events that unfolded here in 2022, when thousands of people joined the queue and passed through Westminster Hall to pay their respects to Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. 

Crook’s guardian‑angel figure reflects both the dignity of the Lying‑in‑State in Westminster Hall and the quiet humanity shown by mourners, staff, and ceremonial participants during those ten extraordinary days. It stands as a moving tribute to a monarch whose life of service touched so many, and as a powerful addition to Parliament’s art collection. 

We are grateful to Eleanor for producing a work that so sensitively reflects both the public’s response and the profound significance of those days, and we are proud to see it installed here in Norman Porch, in the House of Lords for generations to come.” 

Eleanor Crook said: 

“This sculpted memorial titled ‘May Flights of Angels Sing Thee to Thy Rest’, is a message to the future, so that people whom we will never meet will know how it felt to be present at this historic moment, this shared loss, this life celebrated by the collaboration of institutions and individuals. It was a great honour to be involved with the Committees in the marking of this occasion and to know that the artworks reflecting the collective experience will live on in the public’s Parliamentary Art Collection for generations to come.” 

Westminster Hall to host exhibition

Parliament’s exhibition titled ‘A Historic Farewell: Art as Witness to the Lying-in-State of Queen Elizabeth II’ will open in July 2026. Find out more about the exhibition and how to book.

April 20, 2026