Wax on, wax off! Queen Elizabeth II’s newest wax figure came to life on Thursday as it made its way in a horse and carriage in Blackpool, England.
The 95-year-old royal’s statue was unveiled at Madame Tussauds Blackpool. The figure takes up residence at the tourist attraction where it will be joined by models of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Her Majesty is known for her love of corgis and so a model of one was made to accompany her in the House of Wax — and the faux dog made a little (fake) mess on the royal red carpet.
“We are thrilled to have the brand-new figure of the Queen with us,” general manager of Madame Tussauds Blackpool Stuart Jarman stated. “She is an extremely popular attraction here and one that visitors, young and old, always want to see during their visit.
“We have never had a character make such a dramatic entrance, but if such an extravaganza was to happen for anyone, of course, it had to be for Her Majesty,” Jarman continued.
The new figure will replace the one commissioned back in 2012 in honor of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The event marked the 60th anniversary of the sovereign’s accession to the throne. The new figure was created to commemorate the monarch’s upcoming Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
Over the course of her long, long life, 23 waxworks have been created of her, starting in 1928 when she was 2 years old.
Jarman added, “A team of the most skilled, artistic and passionate people around the world are involved in making the perfect wax figure and attention to detail is key. The eyes are hand painted and every tiny detail is duplicated including using fine red silk threads as the veins in the whites of the eyes.
“Our costume department also works with some of the world’s most sought-after designers and stylists to ensure we’re getting the figure 100% right to ensure fans will love it. We even have donated items of clothing from celebrities’ personal wardrobes that they have previously worn to an event,” he said.
Madame Tussauds Blackpool is home to over 80 wax makings of stars, celebrities and public figures. A team of 25 artists works on just one wax figure, spending a combined 800 hours altogether. The Queen is one of 2,000 wax figures displayed around the world under the umbrella of Madame Tussauds’ wax museums, including Madame Tussauds New York on 42nd Street.
The process includes 350 hours to sculpt the statue, 187 hours to implant hair and 30 hours to make a set of teeth. About 150 kilograms, or about 330 pounds, of clay is used to create each and every figure.