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The sculpture of the Queen had been on show for just one day before it was pictured with a cone on its head – a prank one witness described as “typical Gravesend”.
Steven Fry, 40, came discovered the statue’s new headgear after a pub night out, saying it was a “typical Gravesend” prank.
He said: “I was with my friends and we came out of the pub when one of them said we should go and see the new statue of the Queen.
“As we walked toward it my friend noticed the cone and said ‘oh my god, she’s already got a cone on her head’.
“It’s typical Gravesend.”
Some locals in Gravesend were furious at the gimmick, however, and with many expressing their outrage on social media.
One wrote: “As we used to say to our kids when they were about 4 years-old, it’s not funny and it’s not clever, just the product of very simple minds.”
Another said: “Sort of rib tickling prank that ‘disco boy’ and his friends would do and find hilariously funny.”
One user wrote: “Well at least they used the right size of cone.”
The sculpture of Queen Elizabeth II was unveiled at St Andrew’s Park in Gravesend on Thursday afternoon.
The statue was sculpted by Douglas Jennings and was unveiled by the Rt Rev James Langstaff, Bishop of Rochester and Bishop of H.M. Prisons and Cllr David Turner, honorary freeman of the borough and leader of the council.
Speaking about the event, Councillor Turner said: “The event was superb.
“Very important people turned up to support us and we are very happy with the outcome.
“A lot of hard work was put into it by people and of course Douglas Jennings has done an incredible job.”
The statue was commissioned in 2016, in honour of the Queen’s 90th birthday.
The Queen became Britain’s longest reigning monarch in September 2015, and became the first British monarch ever to celebrate a Sapphire Jubilee, marking her 65 years on the throne.
Bishop James Landstaff said: “The unveiling went really well, it’s so important for the community to have sculptures and art,” he said.
“It says something not just about the Queen as a monarch but the life of our nation that she embodies.
“She is 92 years old and at an age where most would be slowing down in a retirement home she is still serving as our longest reigning monarch.
“Gravesend has also, for many years, celebrated people from other countries – she is here as queen of the commonwealth as well.”
Speaking about how he created the statue, sculptor Douglas Jennings said: “It took a lot of thinking and research when I was deciding what I would have to put into this because of all the adornments and robes she has.
“Portraits are always a challenge. Luckily, the Queen is probably the most photographed woman in the world.
“It became like putting together a jigsaw.”
The inscription on the statue’s plinth reads, “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II – our longest reigning monarch.”
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