Elizabeth - A life dedicated to the Crown
"And when peace comes, remember it will be for us, the children of today, to make the world of tomorrow a better and happier place”. A sentence pronounced in 1940, during the Second World War, by Elizabeth on the occasion of her first public address to Commonwealth children.
“It was the sentence spoken by this young teenager who was to become queen by the unexpected abdication of her uncle that inspired me,” explains French artist Pierre Alivon. “These are the few words that inspired me to create a sculpture reflecting the dignity and courage necessary to live together in a world of peace, a recurring theme of my creations.”
Like Alice in Wonderland
Like Alice in Wonderland, Elizabeth’s teenage life has turned into a fairy tale, crushed by the weight of the crown of England.
Thrown in a chair disproportionate to her size, as was Alice, Elizabeth II had to adapt to her new position. This richly decorated armchair bears the coat of arms of royalty and rests on lion paws embodying the power of monarchy. The coat of arms “Dieu et mon droit” is a reminder of the direct sovereignty of Elizabeth II: like all the Kings and Queens of England, Elizabeth II is the vassal of no other, except God. This sentence, written in French and the motto “Honni soit qui mal y pense”, also underlines the common heritage of France and England.
It’s no secret that Elizabeth II loved animals, especially horses and dogs. It was inconceivable not to represent her accompanied by one of her numerous corgis whose breed has almost become a symbol of the British family. She sits next to a dog sleeping against her, who seems to help her fill this chair still too big for her.
Mixed emotions
Faced with this sculpture, the viewer can lend young Elizabeth several emotions:
- fatigue facing the load which is coming on her, symbolized by this voluminous and heavy crown,
- the dream about the fate that opens to her and to which seems to carry her to the back of the armchair,
- or sadness for all that she must sacrifice to the crown, whose coat of arms reminds her the rights and duties.
So many emotions that had to go through her, in front of the challenges and uncertainties of her future life.
Figure of collective memory
Elizabeth II is now part of the collective memory, far beyond the borders of the Commonwealth. Should we see this as a sign of the global footprint left by Elizabeth II? This sculpture has a certain internationalism since it was born in China, in the imagination of a French artist who resides there and works for several years and who has worked in collaboration with Chinese art craftsmen to produce it. “This collaboration is for me a universal symbol of friendship through art.”
