A council in Northern Ireland has defended a new statue commemorating Queen Elizabeth II after some online critics questioned its likeness to the late monarch.
The bronze sculpture, created by artist Anto Brennan, has received mixed reviews from members of the public since it was unveiled in Antrim Castle Gardens last Friday.
It was commissioned by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council and is said to "capture Her Majesty in a dignified pose, reflecting her grace, steadfastness and lifelong dedication to public service".
In response to the attention generated by the statue, the council acknowledged that art can prompt "diverse opinions" but said it was "delighted" with the "generally positive" response.
The council insisted that social media "may amplify certain negative viewpoints".
The sculpture stands adjacent to a statue of the Queen's late husband, Prince Philip, which was created by the same artist, and also features two of their many corgis.
However, it has attracted more criticism than praise on social media, and received mixed review from visitors to the gardens.
Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council posted the images of the sculpture on its social media sites, however, it drew quite a lot of criticism online.
Comments have since been turned off.
DUP councillor John Smyth was among those who attended the unveiling last week.
Mr Smyth, who is a councillor for Antrim town, said he was "surprised" when he first saw the sculpture.
"I'm glad to say I wasn't on the committee that designed it, as such," he said.
Asked what he thought of the sculpture, he said: "Surprising, probably. It looked OK from a distance.
"I thought the facial could be slightly better. Compared to the Duke of Edinburgh statue, which I was involved in, (which) I'd say is a better one.
"It has more likeness (to the Prince), and definitely looks well. It's like any work in bronze, it's hard to make anything a perfect replica of any person.
"It's quite hard to cast. Anto also cast the Duke of Edinburgh one, so it's a hard job.
"(The Queen) had a smaller stature, so even though she was an important lady, she has a smaller statue and frame.
"It has the handbag and the Scottish-style clothing. They've tried their best to get it as near perfect as possible but it's a hard job.
"You can't change it now once it's done. Once you cast the bronze statue, that's it."
At the time of the unveiling, Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Neil Kelly expressed his "pride in the council's efforts to honour Her Majesty's memory".
In a statement Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council said: "The council is delighted with the generally positive response to the new Queen Elizabeth II sculpture in Antrim Castle Gardens.
"It acknowledges 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."
