The Duke of Cambridge Prince William and Duke of Sussex Prince Harry reunited to unveil the statue of their mother, Princess Diana, on what would have been her 60th birthday on July 1, 2021. The event brought the two princes together since the Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021. This was their second public meeting since Harry and Meghan stepped down from their royal duties over a year ago and moved to the US with their son Archie. Their newborn daughter Lilibet ‘Lili’ Diana Mountbatten-Windsor was born this year in the US.
The statue commissioned by the brothers in 2017, will stand in the Kensington Palace’s redesigned Sunken Garden. The statue has Princess Diana’s likeness flanked by the statues of a girl and a boy on either side of her. The brothers said that they hoped it would help visitors to the palace “reflect on her life and her legacy” in a post on their Kensington Palace social media handle.
Today, on what would have been our Mother’s 60th birthday, we remember her love, strength and character – qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better. pic.twitter.com/jsZXyUsG7q
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) July 1, 2021
Every day, we wish she were still with us, and our hope is that this statue will be seen forever as a symbol of her life and her legacy.
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) July 1, 2021
Thank you to Ian Rank-Broadley, Pip Morrison and their teams for their outstanding work, to the friends and donors who helped make this happen, and to all those around the world who keep our mother’s memory alive.
— Prince William and Prince Harry
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) July 1, 2021
The princes said in a statement, “Today, on what would have been our Mother’s 60th birthday, we remember her love, strength and character – qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better. Every day, we wish she were still with us, and our hope is that this statue will be seen forever as a symbol of her life and her legacy. Thank you to Ian Rank-Broadley, Pip Morrison and their teams for their outstanding work, to the friends and donors who helped make this happen, and to all those around the world who keep our mother’s memory alive. — Prince William and Prince Harry”
The rare joint statement of the feuding brothers was a public show of togetherness after strained ties between them since Harry’s and Meghan’s explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey. Their once close relationship has been soured over allegations by Meghan of bullying and racism. Royal commentators have said their reunion to pay tribute to Diana could be a vital first step in healing the rift, which one biographer called the most serious in generations. The ceremony was a toned down affair and was attended by only a handful of guests, including Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, and her two sisters, Sarah McCorquodale and Jane Fellowes. Sculptor, Ian Rank-Broadley, and garden designer Pip Morrison were also present at the ceremony.
(Source: Twitter/AFP)