Sculptor whose first work was unveiled by Queen queues to pay his respects

Stephen Hicklin is amongst the thousands wishing to visit Queen Elizabeth II as she lies in state after he met her in a "once in a lifetime opportunity".

He anticipated to be in the queue for around 14 hours.

Mr Hicklin, who has a studio in Saxmundham, has crafted the likes of Sir Captain Tom Moore and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

The sculptor met Queen Elizabeth II at Maidstone Crown Court in the 1970s when she unveiled his very first public commission of a horse called Invictor.

The sculpture, which was completely made out of metal, made the front page of The Times.

He described the moment he met the late monarch as a "once in a lifetime opportunity".

"It was great to meet the Queen," Mr Hicklin said.

Stephen is one of the thousands that will see the Queen lying in state in Westminster Hall (Image: Stephen Hicklin)

"I was commissioned to do the work but it wasn't until the very end we found out who was unveiling it.

"It was presented to the Queen and she asked me how I made the piece."

When speaking about the meeting, Mr Hicklin said he remembered seeing a "twinkle" in the Queen's eyes.

Mr Hicklin joined the queue after he went to visit his sculpture of Volodymyr Zelensky at the Society of Portrait Sculptors' exhibition at Chelsea Barracks in London.

He said there is a genuine feeling of community spirit amongst those in the queue.

Stephen with his sculpture at the exhibition at Chelsea Barracks in London (Image: Stephen Hicklin)

He said he joined the queue at about 3.15pm today (September 17) and expects to be inside Westminster Hall at about 3am or 4am tomorrow.

In April 2021, Mr Hicklin, who trained at the Central School of Art and Design in London, unveiled his sculpture of Captain Tom, who became famous for his fundraising exploits for the NHS by walking 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden before his 100th birthday.

During Saturday evening, the Queen's eight grandchildren together staged a heart-rending evening vigil.

The Prince of Wales, at the head of the coffin, with his brother the Duke of Sussex at the foot, both in the Blues and Royals No 1 uniform, stood with their heads bowed in her honour in sombre silence in the vast Westminster Hall.

Future king William was flanked at the corners by his cousins Zara Tindall and Peter Philips.

Harry was between Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, with 18-year-old Lady Louise Windsor and Viscount Severn – the Queen’s youngest grandchild who is just 14 – at the middle on either side of the coffin.