Princes Harry and William Issue Rare Joint Statement About the Statue of Their Mother Princess Diana

At the start of 2017, the 20th anniversary year of Princess Diana’s death, Princes William and Harry announced that they had commissioned a statue to honor her legacy. And today the brothers provided an update on the statue saying that it will be installed in the Sunken Garden of Kensington Palace next year on what would have been their mother's 60th birthday.

In a rare joint statement since the brothers decided to go their separate ways in their working lives, Kensington Palace issued the following message on behalf of the princes:

“The statue that Prince William and Prince Harry have commissioned to commemorate their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, will be installed next year on what would have been her 60th Birthday.

The statue was commissioned to mark the 20th anniversary of her death and recognize her positive impact in the UK and around the world.

The statue will be installed in the Sunken Garden of Kensington Palace on 1st July 2021, marking the Princess’s 60th birthday. The Princes hope that the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on their mother’s life and her legacy.”

It is understood that the design stages of the project have been progressing but installation has been delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The brothers announced towards the end of 2017 that they had chosen artist Ian Rank-Broadley to carry out the work. He is known for his effigy of the Queen which appears on UK and Commonwealth coinage since 1998.

“Ian is an extremely gifted sculptor and we know that he will create a fitting and lasting tribute to our mother,” the brothers said in a joint statement at the time.