THE QUEEN VISITS ELEPHANT FAMILY’S ‘THE BIG EGG HUNT’ OUTSIDE THE KING’S GALLERY, BUCKINGHAM PALACE
Tuesday 1st April 2025
The Queen will visit the ‘Green Man Humpty Dumpty Egg’ installed outside The King’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace.
Painted by Alice Shirley, the egg was commissioned by The King and Queen in Their Majesties’ capacity as joint Presidents of Elephant Family. The egg is part of the charity’s campaign ‘The Big Egg Hunt’ in which over 120 large-scale egg sculptures form a trail across London.
The egg’s leafy green design was inspired by Their Majesties’ love of nature and conservation and is a celebration of the natural world.
Her Majesty will meet the egg’s artist and representatives from Elephant Family. Also present will be two Coldstream Guardsmen, in a nod to the ‘King’s men’ referenced in the Humpty Dumpty rhyme behind the design.
Founded the Queen’s late brother, Mark Shand, Elephant Family works in partnership with conservation experts on the ground to tackle the challenges facing Asia’s wildlife and the communities that live alongside them. Elephant Family is part of the British Asian Trust. As of today, over 7,000 people have downloaded the app and the eggs have been collected 34,000 times.
Alice Shirley is a London-based artist and designer who works exclusively by hand. Her work primarily focuses on the natural world and storytelling. She has been collaborating with the French fashion house Hermès Paris since 2012, creating designs for their silk scarves, and other objects across the collections.
Alice studied at Byam Shaw School of Art, Central St Martins, then completed the Drawing Year at the Royal Drawing School in London.
