A statue of the late Princess Diana has been commissioned by her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, and will be installed on a meaningful date, Kensington Palace said in a statement on Friday, BBC News reports. The statue will be placed in a garden in Kensington Palace next July 1 – what would have been Princess Diana’s 60th birthday.
Princes William and Harry commissioned the statue in 2017, the 20th anniversary of their deaths. At the moment, the princes have issued a statement saying: “The time is right to acknowledge their positive impact in the UK and around the world with a permanent statue,” reports BBC News.
“Our mother has touched so many lives. We hope the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on their lives and their heritage,” the statement continued.
The coronavirus pandemic has delayed the installation of the new Diana statue, which will be placed next year in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace. It was created by artist Ian Rank-Broadley, who created the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II that appears on all coins in the United Kingdom, BBC News reported.
Princess Diana was killed in a car accident in Paris on August 31, 1997. Prince William was then 15 and Prince Harry was 12.
Rumors of a strained relationship between the brothers surfaced last year when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle began to take a different approach to royal life. Prince Harry spoke out over the rumors during an interview for the ITV documentary, “Harry & Meghan: An African Journey.” The royal said he “loves” his brother, but they are “certainly on different paths at the moment.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have since left their senior royal duties – and HRH titles – and moved to the United States. It is unclear when Prince Harry will return to Kensington Palace to unveil the statue next summer with his brother.
Kensington Palace’s White Garden was planted to commemorate Diana on the 20th anniversary of her death. There are several other memorials to Diana throughout London, including the Diana Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens, a fountain in Hyde Park, and the Diana Memorial Walk in St. James’s Palace, reports BBC News.
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