Queen Elizabeth Memorial Finalist Designs Revealed, and the Public Has a Say in the Winner

The forthcoming memorial is being touted as a "new national landmark" in London

Jonathan Brady - WPA Pool/Getty; Courtesy of Heatherwick Studio/Malcolm Reading Consultants (Right) Queen Elizabeth at Trooping the Colour on June 2, 2022; (Right) The Queen Elizabeth II national memorial idea by Heatherwick Studio with Halima Cassell, MRG Studio, Webb Yates and Arup

• The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee has publicized the shortlisted designs for her forthcoming memorial
• The "new national landmark" is planned for St. James's Park in the heart of London
• Prince William may have gotten a peek at the ideas when he met with the committee head at Kensington Palace last week

Queen Elizabeth's incredible legacy will be honored with a national memorial in the U.K., and the shortlisted choices have been unveiled.

On May 7, the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee and the Cabinet Office revealed the five potential design concepts for the Queen Elizabeth II national memorial via a public online exhibition. The online launch marks a milestone as the government advances its plan to create an enduring tribute to the late Queen, who was the U.K.'s longest-serving sovereign of 70 years when she died in September 2022 at age 96.

The public is uniquely invited to submit feedback on the ideas until Monday, May 19, and this information will be taken to the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, which is headed by her former private secretary, Lord Robin Janvrin. 

Courtesy of Foster + Partners/Malcolm Reading Consultants The Queen Elizabeth II Memorial design idea by Foster + Partners with Yinka Shonibare and Michel Desvigne Paysagiste.

The committee will then make its decision on the winning design early this summer and the design is expected to be shared in 2026, which would have been Queen Elizabeth's 100th year. 

The future memorial will be set in St. James's Park in the heart of London, and the shortlisted choices all feature publicly accessible spaces in nature.

Courtesy of J&L Gibbons/Malcolm Reading Consultants The Queen Elizabeth II Memorial design idea by J&L Gibbons with Michael Levine RDI, William Matthews Associates, Structure Workshop and Arup.

"The design brief sought concepts for an emotionally powerful place and a space for pause and reflection, which is sensitive to the site within the Grade I listed St James’s Park," a statement said. "The memorial is envisaged to be a new national landmark of outstanding quality to honour and celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s unique qualities and values."

The specific stipulations aren't the only criteria, either — the competing designs will also be assessed against value for money, placemaking and visitor experience. 

Courtesy of Tom Stuart-Smith/Malcolm Reading Consultants The Queen Elizabeth II Memorial design idea by Tom Stuart-Smith with Jamie Fobert Architects, Adam Lowe (Factum Arte) and Structure Workshop.

All of the vignettes feature paths, bridges or walkways, and one pitch even features a flower-shaped covering — a fitting symbol for Queen Elizabeth, who was the proud patron of the Royal Horticultural Society for 70 years and faithfully attended its flagship Chelsea Flower Show over 50 times. 

Courtesy of Heatherwick Studio/Malcolm Reading Consultants The Queen Elizabeth II Memorial design idea by Heatherwick Studio with Halima Cassell, MRG Studio, Webb Yates and Arup.

That finalist design is by Heatherwick Studio with Halima Cassell, MRG Studio, Webb Yates and Arup, and the other illustrations are from Foster + Partners with Yinka Shonibare and Michel Desvigne Paysagiste, J&L Gibbons with Michael Levine RDI, William Matthews Associates, Structure Workshop and Arup, Tom Stuart-Smith with Jamie Fobert Architects, Adam Lowe (Factum Arte) and Structure Workshop, and WilkinsonEyre with Lisa Vandy and Fiona Clark, Andy Sturgeon Design, Atelier One and Hilson Moran.

Courtesy of WilkinsonEyre/Malcolm Reading Consultants The Queen Elizabeth II Memorial design idea by WilkinsonEyre with Lisa Vandy and Fiona Clark, Andy Sturgeon Design, Atelier One and Hilson Moran.

In another key detail, the new landmark will be complete with a "figurative representation" of the late Queen. The Queen Elizabeth II National Memorial Masterplan Design Competition said that a similar search for a sculptor to work with the winning design team will wrap later this year.

According to The Court Circular, one royal family member may have gotten a peek at all the plans! The Court Circular is the royal family's official record of past engagements, and a May 1 entry said that Prince William met with Janvrin last week, just a few days before the finalist designs for the Queen Elizabeth II national memorial were publicized.

"The Prince of Wales this afternoon received the Lord Janvrin (Chairman, The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee) at Windsor Castle," the entry said about the May 1 meeting at Kensington Palace. 

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! 

Janvrin first joined the Royal Household in 1987 and served in the critical role of private secretary to the Queen from 1999 to 2007. In a statement, he said it only made sense for the public to submit feedback about what the memorial should be.

"Queen Elizabeth II’s extraordinary life of service profoundly touched countless individuals, and she was a figure of great respect and admiration. Memories of her long reign are still fresh for so many of us and we need to capture the essence of them for future generations," Janvrin said in a statement about the search.

"In recognition of this, it is only fitting that we invite the public to express their views on these design concepts," he continued. "We are delighted to be working with some of the best architects, artists and designers in the world to produce a landmark memorial of outstanding beauty that celebrates and honors the life of Queen Elizabeth II."