On Day That Would Be Her 60th Birthday, Princess Diana Statue Unveiled By Feuding Sons

Jul 01, 2021 by apost team

Set to be unveiled on July 1 is the first official statue in honor of Diana, Princess of Wales. The date — which coincides with what would have been her 60th birthday — has been pushed back due to the ongoing pandemic, but finally, the day for the statue's unveiling is nearly upon us.

Prince William and Prince Harry will unveil the statue of their late mother together, with Harry traveling to the U.K. especially for the event. Unfortunately, however, Meghan Markle won't be joining him on the trip, as she is staying in the United States following the birth of the couple's daughter Lilibet Diana — who is named after both her great-grandmother and grandmother — earlier this month. The brothers commissioned the statue of their beloved mom back in 2017 for the 20th anniversary of her death.

William and Harry have worked hard to preserve their mother's legacy both symbolically but also throughout their own charity work as parts of the royal family. Both brothers have taken carried on Princess Diana's legacy in terms of being outspoken about mental health.

However, both brothers have taken drastically different paths in their life; while William has stuck to his duty, Harry took the unconventional path and left behind his role as a senior royal, opting instead for a life in the United States with his wife Meghan Markle. His controversial decision, however, has led to a major rift in the family, which has been covered thoroughly in the media. 

Until this day, Princess Diana, who is also called the People's Princess, is remembered fondly all over the world for her impeccable fashion style, kind-hearted manner and charity work. Diana's early death in 1997 devastated not only the British royal family but also fans across the globe. In the wake of her passing, memorabilia to her quickly rose to prominence.

While there have been lulls of interest, Princess Diana remains a popular person and topic even to this day. Certain events and occasions such as documentaries or Netflix's recent series "The Crown" keep people interested in everything there is to know about Diana and the tragic tale behind her rise as a British princess.

Now, with the statue's unveiling at the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, there will be a location that fans can visit to pay their respects. As reported by the BBC, a statement released by Prince William and Prince Harry back in 2017 said:

"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."

It continued:

"Our mother touched so many lives. We hope the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on her life and her legacy."

The official statue of Diana, Princess of Wales will be located at the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, a spot that is said to have been her favorite on the grounds. The BBC also reported in 2017 that the statue had been a long time coming, considering Diana was the wife of a future king — Prince Charles — and the mother of another — Prince William. 

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There have currently been tensions between Harry and Meghan and the rest of the royal family due to their bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview, followed by their role in the Apple+ Docuseries "The Me You Can't See." 

The official unveiling of the statue will be Harry's first time seeing his family since Prince Philip's funeral in mid-April. An official "Sussex source" revealed to Harper's Bazaar that Meghan Markle won't be joining her husband for the event and will focus on caring for the couple's infant daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor at their Montecito home instead.

The Mirror had initially reported that Kate will help her husband William and his brother Harry put on a united front for the occasion. However, new reports show that Kate has been removed from the guestlist for the unveiling. The Sun reported that this means that Harry and William will be meeting without a "peacemaker" around them.   

Metro UK also reported that Harry also does not have plans to meet his brother or his father when he arrives in the UK. Harry is expected to be in quarantine for five days, and Charles is expected to be on a trip to Scotland by the time Harry leaves quarantine. 

A source told the Sun, "Charles will leave the boys to it. Harry will need to quarantine for at least five days when he lands in England, most likely at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor. Charles has made it quite clear he will not be around beyond that because he is going to Scotland. There is no planned meeting between the three of them." 

Do you think that brothers will be able to make peace for the statue unveiling? Tell us your thoughts, and be sure to ask others what they think as well.