It seems that even the Queen may not be immune from the effects of the worldwide market slump if these pictures, which seem to show her begging, are anything to go by. Her Majesty was seen stooped on the floor in a sleeping bag wearing a tatty fur coat in the middle of Birmingham city centre. But fortunately, Prince Philip has not kicked her out of Buckingham Palace - and this is actually a remarkable sculpture of the monarch created by a cheeky artist.
Birmingham-based artist Edgar Askelovic took to the streets of the city with the model of Elizabeth II and left her to beg
Birmingham-based artist Edgar Askelovic took to the streets of the city with the model of Elizabeth II and left her to beg. And incredibly he earned more money from generous passers-by than he did in his part-time bar job.
Lithuanian Edgar, 23, said: 'She was getting something like £6 every half hour - I only earned £5.85 an hour at the time.' And the lifelike sculpture - placed in a sleeping bag and with an open suitcase - certainly turned a few heads as she lay by Birmingham's St Philip's Cathedral.
The lifelike sculpture, placed in a sleeping bag and with an open suitcase, turned a few heads as it lay by Birmingham's St Philip's Cathedral
Edgar added: 'It was quite shocking - people thought it was real. They were touching it and kicking it. A lot of people were coming over to have a look. 'The police even approached it because they thought it was a bomb.' Had it not been for killjoy officers moving Edgar on from his spot five times he thinks he could have made even more money.
He added: 'In the best spot she was getting £6 every half hour. It really does depend on the place.' Working from photographs, he made the sculpture using silicone and polystyrene 'for fun', but said that the work also had a political meaning. Edgar explained: 'I come from a country where there is a big crisis at the moment.
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| The fake Queen |
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| The real Queen |
'People in the UK talk about the crisis in the UK like the recession so I thought, what if the Queen was homeless? It is more for fun. 'It is the juxtaposition between Lithuania and a real crisis and the recession here. The Queen is the face of England. I am trying to say I am England, I can joke like this.'
Edgar did his research before taking the Queen out around the city. He says he walked around Birmingham and spoke to homeless people, asking where they got their money, where they slept and what they ate. He added: 'One of the guys said they got £80 a day. One tramp even had an iPhone. It is like another life.'
The artist, who has just finished a fine art degree at Birmingham University, moved to the UK two years ago as an exchange student but decided to say because there was more freedom here than in his native homeland. The Queen is his first sculpture and took him one month to complete.
Edgar Askelovic, who has just finished a fine art degree at Birmingham University, moved to the UK two years ago as an exchange student but decided to say
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