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Princess Diana statue revealed for the first time as Harry and William reunite

1 July 2021, 15:19

Prince Harry and Prince William reunited for the revealing of the Diana statue. Picture: PA

By Alice Dear

Prince Harry and Prince William marked what would have been Princess Diana's 60th birthday today by unveiling a statue in the gardens of Kensington Palace.

A statue of Princess Diana has been erected in the gardens of Kensington Palace to mark what would have been Prince Harry and Prince William's mother's 60th birthday.

Today, the statue was unveiled to the public as the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex reunited for the special occasion.

The statue was designed and sculpted by Ian Rank-Broadley and depicts Diana with two children.

On a stone just below the statue, an inscription read: "These 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?"

The statue has been placed in the Sunken Gardens of Kensington Palace, which was one of Diana's favourite areas when she lived there.

Harry and William admire the statue at the unveiling in Kensington Gardens. Picture: PA

To compliment the revealing of the statue, the garden has also been given a makeover, with Pip Morrison in charge of the designs of the grounds.

In a statement from the Palace, they said that the new garden had been designed with a simplified layout of deeper flower borders and more lawn around the pool area "to create a calmer and more reflective setting for the statue".

The flowers picked for the garden are also very meaningful, with 100 forget-me-nots planted among the 4,000 other flowers.

The brothers looked in good spirits as they made their way to the event. Picture: PA

The unveiling event was scaled down due to social distancing guidelines, with only close members of Diana's family in attendance.

Of course, William and Harry led the event, both speaking about their mother's legacy 20 years after her tragic death.

This is the first time Harry and William have been together in public since the funeral of Prince Philip, where the brothers were seen talking one-on-one after the service.

The statue is four years in the making for the brothers, who started the project in 2017. Picture: PA

Prince Charles' sons are still believed to be distant from one another ever since Harry's departure from the royal family and his move to the US with his wife Meghan Markle.

The interview the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had with Oprah Winfrey earlier in the year is also believed to be another reason for tension between the siblings.

However, they have put their differences behind them to honour their mother who tragically died when the boys were only aged 12 and 15 at the time.

Beneath the statue is a plinth engraved with Princess Diana’s name and today’s unveiling date. In front is a paving stone engraved with an extract after the poem “The Measure of A Man” which featured in the programme for the 2007 memorial service for the late princess.

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