A FIRM from the North Oxfordshire village of Cropredy was asked to cast a giant bronze statue of Queen Elizabeth II for the 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta.

Lockbund Foundry was asked to cast the statue as part of a memorial garden to be built at Runnymede in Surrey, where King John Sealed the Magna Carta on June 15, 1215.

The four-metre high bronze statue shows the Queen in full garter robes and takes its inspiration from portraits taken of her in 1954 and 1969.

The piece was created by artist James Butler from an original piece just 18 inches high, officially approved by Her Majesty the Queen.

Foundry owner Simon Allison said: “Even though I am a Kiwi I am very proud of the Royal family and have a lot of respect for the Queen.

“I think it’s fitting a statue of the Queen is used to commemorate Magna Carta as she represents all that is best about constitutional monarchy.”

The statue was unveiled at a special ceremony on Sunday by Commons Speaker John Bercow.

It sits just a few yards from the River Thames and will form the centre of the new memorial garden which will be accessed from a landing stage on the Thames.

Mr Allison said: “It’s been a great contract for us and we’re very pleased to have done it.”