Prince Harry and Prince William Make Rare Joint Statement About Their Mother
Prince Harry and Prince William are working together to pay tribute to Princess Diana.
In a joint statement, the princes announced that a statue they commissioned of their late mother will be revealed in Kensington Palace’s Sunken Garden on July 21, 2021, which would have been her 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 statement reads.
The announcement comes just three days before the 23rd anniversary of Diana’s death in 1997. This is the first joint statement the brothers have released since Harry’s move to Santa Barbara, California with wife Meghan Markle and son Archie.
William and Harry commissioned the statue back in 2017, saying in a joint statement at the time, “It has been 20 years since our mother’s death and the time is right to recognise her positive impact in the UK and around the world with a permanent statue.”
Ian Rank-Broadley, the artist behind the image of Queen Elizabeth featured on British coins, has been commissioned as the sculptor for the project. “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,” he said said in a statement.
The statue isn’t the only way the brothers are keeping Diana’s memory alive. Last month, Prince William reportedly vacationed to the Isles of Scilly with Kate Middleton and their children. He and Harry previously vacationed there as a child in 1989 with Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
Although it’s been reported that Prince Harry’s decision to step back from his role as a senior royal put strain on the relationship, it seems the brothers are putting their differences aside to pay tribute to their mother.