The public is being encouraged to share their personal memories of Queen Elizabeth II as the country marks four years since the late monarch’s passing. The Queen Elizabeth Digital Memorial, led by the Cabinet Office, launched on 21 April this year and has since seen hundreds of thousands of visitors.
The digital memorial aims to create a lasting public record by inviting contributions from around the world, alongside rich archive material, photography, and video mapping key events from Queen Elizabeth’s life and reign. Today, to mark the fourth anniversary, the memorial is releasing rarely seen archival photographs and memories, working with organisations such as Barnardos, the Scottish Women’s Institute, and the National Gallery.
New material released today includes a memory from Sir Stephen Fry regarding the collective sense of loss felt at a test match when the Queen's passing was announced. Also included are images from the National Gallery relating to her 1991 visit, images of children celebrating with a birthday cake sent by Princess Elizabeth in 1936, and an audio recording from the Scottish Women’s Institutes.
The website features a searchable record of Queen Elizabeth’s public engagements from 1952 to 2022 and has brought together collections from across the UK, including the Royal Collection and the BBC. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales recently shared his favourite memories on the platform, alongside other public figures such as Tom Daley OBE and Dame Tracey Emin.