Internationally-renowned sculptor Philip Jackson, who lives at Cocking and has his studio in Midhurst, has been appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in the Queen's birthday honours list.

"This came as a complete surprise," Mr Jackson told the Observer. "It is a great honour and I am thrilled.

"This particular honour is in the Queen's gift. It's wonderful to get recognition particularly when it is from the Queen."

Mr Jackson has undertaken a number of royal commissions including the Queen in Windsor Great Park, King George VI for the Dartmouth Royal Naval College and the Queen Mother's memorial in The Mall in London.

The 64-year-old sculptor depicted the Queen Mother in the robes of the Order of the Garter.

He spent three years working on the bronze statue which was unveiled in The Mall earlier this year.

Among his other commissions were St Richard in Chichester Cathedral, Constantine the Great at York Minster, The Gurkha Monument in Horseguards Parade and the 1966 World Cup sculpture in London.

He also sculpted Bobby Moore for the new Wembley Stadium and footballers George Best, Sir Bobby Charlton and Denis Law at Old Trafford, Manchester.

In his home village at Cocking he inspired villagers to help create a stunning millennium memorial in 2000.

In April this year at South Harting his figure of the Archangel Gabriel was unveiled at a special service in Harting parish church.

The sculpture of St Gabriel descending in flight has been dramatically suspended by wires from the overhead beam in the north-west transept.


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