Sheffield sculptor creates first bronze bust of King Charles

A prison psychologist turned sculptor has created the first bust of King Charles to be commissioned since his accession.

Lily Marsh retrained as a stonemason 12 years ago with The Prince’s Foundation, now The King’s Foundation, before starting teaching with the charity.

She said the receiving the commission had been an incredibly exciting moment in her career.

“It was a bit of a dream job really. I was really excited to give it a go and see how it went,” she said.

Ms Marsh crafted the clay sculpture over two weeks at her studio at Stag Works in Sheffield, before it was turned into a bronze bust at a foundry in Liverpool.

In January 2025, the bust was unveiled to King Charles at The King’s Foundation headquarters in Dumfries House, Ayrshire.

When presenting the bust to the King, she said he had been really interested in the process and the craft of behind making it.

“It was nerve wracking, but it was really exciting,” she said.

“You present your work and it goes into the world. I wouldn’t have dared ask what he made of it.

“But The King’s Foundation were really pleased and liked how it had gone.”

Ms Marsh gave up her job as a prison psychologist to retrain as a stonemason because she wanted a “manual” job.

“I wanted to do a physical job, where you can be outside quite a lot and it has links to heritage craft and older buildings, which I really love,” she said.

“I thought it was a brilliant way of being able to meet the creative need to be a sculptor but also have a trade and craft I could lean on.

“It was a big leap, and I left and a secure, good job to retrain so it’s been a journey.”

She trained under The Prince’s Foundation’s Building Craft Programme, travelling to heritage sites across the country over eight months.

She said: “It’s really important to listen to what makes you tick. I knew that I got great satisfaction from using my hands to make, and being manual with things.

“Success is a really wide spectrum, it doesn’t necessarily have to be academic. I worked part time for a mental health charity while retraining, so it’s possible, it’s just finding the time.”

Simon Sadinsky, executive director at The King’s Foundation, said the organisation was “so proud” of Ms Marsh.

He said: “To celebrate The King’s Foundation’s 35th anniversary and the role of our royal founding president His Majesty the King in this way is extra special as it reflects the talents of our students and alumni.

“Ms Marsh is living proof of the talent in traditional skills in this country and demonstrates how hopeful we should be for the future generations of master craftspeople.”