Princess Diana Statue Is Coming To Kensington Palace On Her Would-Be 60th Birthday

Aug 31, 2020 by apost team

Today marks 23 years since Princess Diana, known fondly by the public as the "People's Princess," passed away in a tragic car crash in Paris in 1997.

To commemorate her life, sons William and Harry have commissioned a statue which will be unveiled in Kensington Palace on July 1st 2021, on what would have been her 60th birthday.

Plans for a statue of the late Princess were revealed in a statement by Kensington Palace last Friday.

“The statue that Prince William and Prince Harry have commissioned to commemorate their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, will be installed next year on what would have been her 60th Birthday,” Kensington Palace said in a statement, according to Good Morning America.

Princess Diana's life was sadly cut short at age 36 when she was involved in a fatal car crash over two decades ago. Her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry were only 15 and 12 years old respectively at the time. Her funeral was televised and the world mourned collectively. It was a heartbreaking scene. Three memorial projects were set up in London dedicated to Princess Diana: the Memorial Fountain, the Memorial Walk, and the Memorial Playground, all located in London's parks.

apost.com

In 2017 Prince William, now 38-years-old, and Prince Harry, now 35-years-old, commissioned a new memorial–a statue of their late mother–to mark the 20th anniversary of her death and to "recognize her positive impact," reports the BBC. The statue will be created by artist Ian Rank-Broadley.

The statue will be erected on a very meaningful day: what would have been the Princess's 60th birthday. They chose the location of the Sunken Garden in Kensington Palace as it was one of their mother's favorite places.

Diana was born into the British nobility in 1961 and grew up in close proximity to the royal family on their Sandringham estate. She married Prince Charles in 1981, but the couple's tumultuous relationship ended in divorce in 1996.

She was known for her humanitarian work across the globe and became a force to be reckoned with in the royal family. According to her legacy website, she was "President or Patron of over 100 charities... Spoke out on a wide range of issues and used her high profile to raise awareness as well as funds for charitable causes."

Diana was always extremely close to her two sons. On speaking about the memorial William and Harry said, "Our mother touched so many lives." And she continues to touch many lives through her legacy. We are sure her memorial will bring peace to the princes and will be a fitting icon to remember the People's Princess.

What do you think of this beautiful gesture by Princess Diana's sons?  Let us know in the comments and make sure you pass this along to your friends and family.