Prince William, Princess Diana and Prince Harry.Photo: Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty
August 31 marks the 24th anniversary ofPrincess Diana’s shocking death in a car crash Paris, but instead of making it a somber occasion, the royals have chosen a symbolic gesture to help her still-adoring public celebrate her life not only on that day but also moving forward.
Prince William and Prince Harry unveil a statue of their mother, Princess Diana, at Kensington Gardens.Alamy Stock Photo
William, 39, and Harry, 36,reunited to unveil the statueon July 1 — itself a symbolic date: Diana would have celebrated her 60th birthday on that day.
Opting to forego individual speeches, the princes released a statement lauding their mother’s legacy on the morning of the unveiling.
The noted they were coming together to celebrate Diana’s “love, strength and character – qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better.”
“Every day, we wish she were still with us, and our hope is that this statue will be seen forever as a symbol of her life and her legacy,” the statement continued, finally thanking “all those around the world who keep our mother’s memory alive.”
Situated in Diana’s belovedSunken Garden,sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley’s 8-foot bronze creation features the princess nearing the age of 36 when she died. She’s wearing ameaningful mid-’90s-style outfitand has her arms around a boy and a girl, with a third child in the background.
According to a statement from the palace,the children"represent the universality and generational impact of The Princess' work."
The statement also revealed, “The statue aims to reflect the warmth, elegance and energy of Diana, Princess of Wales, in addition to her work and the impact she had on so many people.”
Princess Diana statue.Samir Hussein/WireImage
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Plans for the Princess Diana statue were first announced in February 2017, 20 years after the princess’s death.
The unveiling wasscaled backdue to COVID restrictions in the U.K. Among the attendees were close family members, statue committee members, Rank-Broadley and Pip Morrison, the designer of theSunken Garden.
source: people.com
