THE QUEEN ELIZABETH GATE IS EXPECTED TO BECOME 'PROTECTED STATUS'

THE QUEEN ELIZABETH GATE, THE CONTROVERSIAL LONDON LANDMARK, IS EXPECTED TO WIN PROTECTED STATUS SOON. IT'S BEEN DERIDED BY MANY AS A PANTOMIME SET AND COMPARED TO A DEVELOPMENT ON THE COSTA DEL SOL, BUT THE ICONIC QUEEN ELIZABETH GATE IS TO BECOME A PERMANENT FEATURE OF THE LONDON LANDSCAPE. RICHARD BRIGGS, WHO WAS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE QUEEN ELIZABETH GATE APPEAL, RECENTLY SAID IN AN INTERVIEW THAT HE WAS APPLYING TO HAVE THE TRIBUTE TO THE LATE QUEEN MOTHER LISTED BY ENGLISH HERITAGE. 'THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED ON IT WON'T BE AROUND FOR EVER, SO WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE SAFEGUARD IT FOR THE FUTURE', HE SAID AT A RECEPTION TO LAUNCH THE ELEPHANT PARADE, A CAMPAIGN TO SAVE THE ENDANGERED ASIAN ELEPHANT, IN CONVENT GARDEN. PRINCE MICHAEL OF KENT CONCEIVED THE IDEA OF CONSTRUCTING THE £1.5 MILLION GATE AS A TRIBUTE TO HER AUNT ON HER 90th BIRTHDAY AND IT WAS UNVEILED IN 1993. LORD ROGER, THE ARCHITECT, DESCRIBED THE DESIGN BY THE SCULPTOR DAVID WYNNE AS 'ROMANTIC CANDYFLOSS' AND COMPARED IT TO ONE OD QUEEN ELIZABETH'S HATS. EVEN HER GRANDSON LORD LINLEY SAID HE 'ABSOLUTELY LOATHED' IT. HOWEVER, BRIGGS, WHO WAS AWARDED OBE FOR HIS EFFORT, SAID THE GATE HAD BECOME A POPULAR TOURIST ATTRACTION AND HELPED TO AVOID COUNTLESS ROAD ACCIDENTS BY CALMING THE TRAFFIC IN THAT CORNER OF THE ROYAL PARK. HE ADDED, 'I THINK THE DESIGN HAS GROWN ON PEOPLE.'