A statute honouring the late Queen Elizabeth is dividing opinion, just days after it was unveiled in Northern Ireland.

The bronze sculpture by north Belfast artist Anto Brennan was unveiled in the gardens of Antrim Castle last Friday, to mark two years since the death of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.

It shows the late queen with her husband, Prince Philip, and two of her beloved corgis. She is wearing a headscarf and padded jacket, similar to those she often wore while walking her dogs.

“The sculpture captures Her Majesty in a dignified pose, reflecting her grace, steadfastness and lifelong dedication to public service,” Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council wrote in a Facebook post, sharing photos of artwork.

But not everyone agrees.

Local man Richard told the BBC he was “really disappointed” in the statue.

“Whoever signed that off needs their eyes tested. It’s not good,” he said.

“I would take it away. It doesn’t do anything in memory for Her Majesty, so definitely I would remove it.”

Online, some people were even more critical, comparing the bronze queen to Mrs Doubtfire, the cross-dressing nanny played by Robin Williams in the 1993 film.

“Should have gone to Specsavers,” another X user joked.

Another visitor grudgingly described the work as “nice”.

“As it is in her memory, I guess it is a good thing – but it doesn’t look like her,” they said.

“The dogs and Prince Philip look nice, but the queen, it doesn’t look like her.”

As debate raged, local councillor Vera McWilliam joined the criticism.

“We have to be honest, it does not resemble the queen in any shape or form,” she told the BBC.

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough deputy mayor Paul Dunlop, who attended the unveiling, said the verdict on the statue was “down to personal taste”.

“Everyone has their own opinion but it is what the sculpture represents that is important,” he said.

When the sculpture was unveiled, Antrim and Newtownabbey mayor Neil Kelly described it as “beautiful”.

The local council remains “delighted with the generally positive response to the new Queen Elizabeth II sculpture in Antrim Castle Gardens”.

In a statement, it acknowledged “that art can sometimes spark diverse opinions, but it’s important to emphasise that the sculpture has been warmly received by most who have seen it in person”.

“The statue beautifully captures Her Majesty’s grace and steadfastness, standing as a fitting tribute to her extraordinary life and reign,” it said.

It has since turned off comments on the Facebook post.

The proposal to commission a sculpture of the late queen and her two corgis came in January 2023. It was to join an existing bronze statue of Prince Philip in the castle gardens.