Prince Harry and Prince William Honor Princess Diana at Statue Unveiling
It would have been their mother's 60th birthday today.
Putting any lingering tension aside, Prince William and Prince Harry came together and unveiled a new statue of their late mother, Princess Diana, on what would have been her 60th birthday. The event took place in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace—reportedly one of Princess Diana's favorite spots.
Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, and Prince Charles were absent from the event, along with the rest of the royal family. Instead, Harry and William were accompanied by some of Princess Diana's family members along with the statue committee, sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley, and garden designer Pip Morrison. The statue has been in the works since February 2017 and aims to "reflect on their mother’s life and her legacy."
According to royal reporter Rebecca English and royal reporter Omid Scobie, underneath the statue there's a plinth engraved with an excerpt from "The Measure of A Man," which was featured in the program of the 2007 memorial service for Princess Diana. "There are the units to measure the worth / Of this woman as a woman regardless of birth / Not what was her station? / But had she a heart? / How did she play her God-given part?"
Here are some of the photos and videos from the event, which includes a look at the new statue:
Diana, Princess of Wales’s brother and sisters have arrived at Kensington Palace for the unveiling of her statue on what would have been her 60th birthday. They turned up on foot, just walking through the gathered crowds and stopped for a moment to look at the tributes #Diana60 pic.twitter.com/tfSyRrycd7July 1, 2021
Large crowd gathered outside Kensington Palace as wellwishers and media try to be as close to the action — taking place privately behind a large hedge — as possible. #dianaat60 #princessdiana pic.twitter.com/n4T7OXTFuBJuly 1, 2021
The first photos of the commemorative statue of Princess Diana have been released. Princes William and shared their reactions to the touching tribute with sculptor Ian @RankBroadley and their late mother’s siblings, Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Charles Spender. pic.twitter.com/n3T5GfI5uCJuly 1, 2021
Prince Harry arrived to the U.K. last week and spent five days in quarantine at Frogmore Cottage after testing negative for COVID-19. Earlier this week, Harry told the winners of the virtual 2021 Diana Awards that "later this week, my brother and I are recognizing what would have been our mum's 60th birthday, and she would be so proud of you all for living authentic life with purpose and with compassion for others."
A bittersweet but special moment for the brothers.
