What We Know About The Princess Diana Statue
The unveiling of the memorial statue in honor of the late Princess Diana is rapidly approaching. The statue was ordered by her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, and is set to be unveiled to the public on July 1, 2021 — what would have been Princess Diana'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," reads an official statement from the royals about the statue (via Cosmopolitan).
The statue will be located at Kensington Palace's Sunken Garden, a place that held personal significance for the late royal. "She would come by the Sunken Garden and she would admire the floral displays in here as they changed through spring and summer and she would chat with [the staff]," Sean Harkin, the head gardener for Kensington Palace, said in a video for Historic Royal Palaces.
William and Harry want their mother's impact recognized
The statue has been in the works for quite some time and was first announced in 2017. "It has been twenty years since our mother's death and the time is right to recognize her positive impact in the UK and around the world with a permanent statue," said Prince William and Prince Harry in a statement posted on the royal family's official website. "Our mother touched so many lives."
The statement also revealed that private funds would be used for the statue, and Ian Rank-Broadley was later brought on board to create the masterpiece. The sculptor is a pretty big deal; per Rank-Broadley's website, "his effigy of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II appears on all UK and Commonwealth coinage since 1998."
According to The Sun, Prince Harry and Prince William were involved in the design process. "It will have been signed off by William and Harry, that much I do know," a source told the outlet. "I know [Ian Rank-Broadley] did work closely with the boys and I think it will be incredible."