Leave it to Princess Diana to bring her boys back together again!
On Friday morning, Prince William and Prince Harry issued a rare joint statement announcing that the long-awaited statue to honor their late mother will be installed next year on what would have been her 60th birthday — July 1, 2021 — in the garden of her former home, Kensington Palace.
The announcement, which came from the Kensington Palace offices of William and his wife Kate Middleton, marks the first time the brothers have spoken publicly together since Harry and wife Meghan Markle moved to their new home in Santa Barbara, California, with their 1-year-old son Archie following #Megxit earlier this year.
Related: Meghan Praises ‘Feminist’ Husband Harry For Setting ‘Beautiful Example’ For Archie!
According to the palace’s statement, the statue was “commissioned to mark the twentieth anniversary of [Princess Di’s] death and recognize her positive impact in the UK and around the world.” It continued:
“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.”
The announcement came three days before what will be the 23rd anniversary of Diana’s tragic death in 1997. As you likely know, William and Harry were just 15 and 12 respectively when their mother died in a car crash in Paris at just 36 years old.
Several London memorials have already been created in tribute to Diana, including the Diana Memorial Playground at Kensington Palace, the Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park, and the Diana Memorial Walk at St James’s Palace. A memorial garden known as the White Garden was also planted at Kensington Palace to mark the 20th anniversary of her death.
Months after first announcing plans for the statue in February 2017, the princes commissioned Ian Rank-Broadley, the sculptor behind the image of their grandmother Queen Elizabeth II that’s been used to decorate all British coins since 1998, as the person to create the tribute.
When his involvement was announced in December 2017, Rank-Broadley said in a statement:
“It is my sole and highest intention to fulfill the expectations of Their Royal Highnesses in creating a lasting and fitting memorial to their late mother Diana, Princess of Wales.”
Sources say the design stages were progressing on track, but the installation was delayed due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
Hopefully the eventual installation will help mend the widely reported rift between Will and Harry.
[Image via WENN]
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