November 24, 2024

William and Harry unite to unveil Diana statue at Kensington Palace

Kensington Palace #KensingtonPalace

By Hazel ShearingBBC News

Prince Harry and Prince William

image copyrightPA Media

The Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex have united to unveil a statue of Diana, Princess of Wales, saying “every day we wish she were still with us”.

William and Harry came together for a ceremony in Kensington Palace’s redesigned Sunken Garden, on what would have been their mother’s 60th birthday.

It was their first appearance together since the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral in April.

“We remember her love, strength and character,” they said.

“Qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better.”

They said they hoped the statue would “be seen forever as a symbol of her life and her legacy” and thanked “all those around the world who keep our mother’s memory alive”.

Prince Harry and Prince William next to the statue of Diana

image copyrightDominic Lipinski

Prince Harry and Prince William next to the statue of Diana

image copyrightDominic Lipinski

Harry, who lives in the US with his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, and their two children, arrived in the UK last week in order to complete his quarantine ahead of Thursday’s event.

Prince Harry

image copyrightPA Media

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Analysis box by Daniela Relph, royal correspondent

It was a low-key event – quiet and intimate.

There were just a handful of guests at the unveiling of the statue – Prince William, Prince Harry, Diana’s two sisters, her brother and members of the statue committee.

William and Harry walked out together into the Sunken Garden. Harry, in particular, spent time with his two aunts and uncle in animated conversation.

Neither of them spoke publicly at the event. There were no speeches or fanfare.

It was professional and friendly and gave no obvious sense of the tensions behind the scenes. There was even laughter between the brothers as they prepared to unveil the bronze statue.

They don’t want the day to be about their own broken relationship. They want it to be about their mother and her legacy.

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Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, was among those at the ceremony at Kensington Palace, Diana’s former home in London.

Earl Spencer

image copyrightReuters

Tributes for Princess Diana outside Kensington Palace

image copyrightReuters image captionTributes to Princess Diana were seen outside Kensington Palace on Thursday

When William and Harry commissioned the statue of their mother in 2017, they said they hoped it would help visitors to the palace “reflect on her life and her legacy”.

Kensington Palace said the Sunken Garden had been “one of the princess’s favourite locations” when she lived there.

More than 4,000 flowers have been planted for the garden’s redesign, which has taken 1,000 hours to complete.

The garden, which sits within London’s Hyde Park, will be open to the public to visit for free from Friday, in line with Kensington Palace’s opening hours.

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