On what would have been Princess Diana’s birthday, Prince Harry and Prince William unveiled a bronze statue of her in the redesigned sunken gardens of Kensington Palace, July 1, 2021.
Commissioned by the princes way back in 2017, the bronze statue was made to memorialize Diana and mark the 20th anniversary of her death.
The unveiling took place at a small family event attended by The Princes’ siblings: The Earl Spencer, The Lady Sarah McCorquodale, and The Lady Jane Fellowes.
It was also the first time Prince William and Prince Harry had been together since the Duke of Edinburgh’s burial in April.
“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”, the princes said.
“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”, they added.
Renowned British sculptor Ian Rank- Broadley designed the 1.25x life-sized statue, which depicts Diana with three children standing by her side.
The monument is meant to “reflect the warmth, elegance, and energy” of Princess Diana, according to Kensington Palace, while the children who surround her “highlight the universality and generational effect” of her work.
A plinth underneath the monument is inscribed with Princess Diana’s name and the date of her unveiling. A paving stone in front is etched with an excerpt from the poem “The Measure of A Man,” which was featured in the program for the late princess’s 2007 funeral ceremony.
The monument may be seen in Kensington Palace’s renovated Sunken Garden, which is one of the Princess’s favorite spots. Princess Diana’s favorite flowers have been integrated into the planting design by landscape designer Pip Morrison.
The statue earned mixed reactions from the netizens. In a Twitter post, one netizen said that the statue looks more like Theresa May and that they have given the creator the wrong photo.
Can’t disagree unfortunately. That’s Theresa May right there. Oops someone gave the creator the wrong photo.
— Chrissie Chalk (@chalkyblue) July 1, 2021
Amidst the flak received from the other netizens, some still believed that this statue of Diana is done well.
This statue looks surprisingly really like Diana. ? The artist did a good job.
— M. W. – Klarname ?? ? ?? (@MWegener5) July 1, 2021
Have to admit, I quite like the statue. A fitting tribute to the wonderful Diana ❤️
— Henry Funnell (@HenryFunnell) July 1, 2021
The garden and statue of Princess Diana are arranged to be viewed from the Cradle Walk and are free to view during the palace’s opening hours.
For more information on how you can visit the Sunken Garden and see Diana’s statue, see, https://www.hrp.org.uk/kensington-palace/whats-on/the-sunken-garden
Watch the full footage of the unveiling of Princess Diana’s statue:
*Part 1 of 2*
For those asking, here is the full footage from today’s Princess Diana statue unveiling at the Sunken Garden on the grounds of Kensington Palace. Clearly a very special family-focused day for Prince William, Prince Harry, Diana’s siblings and those involved. pic.twitter.com/7RSppHrpFy— Omid Scobie (@scobie) July 1, 2021
