Princess Diana's statue at Kensington is a symbol of her life, legacy
The greenish bronze statue shows Princess Diana, who was killed in a Paris car crash in 1997, surrounded by three children, which Kensington Palace said represented "the universality and generational impact" of her work.
On what would have been Princess Diana's 60th birthday, her sons Prince William and Prince Harry unveiled a statue of their mother to immortalise her life and her legacy. The intimate ceremony took place at Kensington Palace's Sunken Garden. The 1.25 metre life-size statue of Princess Diana was commissioned by the two princes to sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley in 2017, and it shows the Princess as she was at the time of her death in 1997.
The greenish bronze statue shows Diana, who was killed in a Paris car crash in 1997, surrounded by three children, which Kensington Palace said represented "the universality and generational impact" of her work. The statue of the Princess has the same short, sharp hairdo she had at the time of her death, wearing a well fit blouse, a knee length skirt and a big belt as she gently placed her hand on the shoulders of the children besides her.
On the paving stone in front of the statue, and extract from the poem The Measure of A Man were engraved. They read, "These are the units to measure the worth,
"Of this woman as a woman regardless of birth.
"Not what was her station?
"But had she a heart?
"How did she play her God-given part?"
Ian was quoted to have said, “Diana, Princess of Wales was an icon who touched the lives of people right around the world…We wanted to capture her warmth and humanity while showcasing the impact she had across generations. I hope that people will enjoy visiting the statue and the Sunken Garden, and taking a moment to remember the Princess.”
The princes did not give any speech at the unveiling of their mother's statue, instead they posted a joint statement on the social media handles for Kensington Palace. The statement read, "Today, on what would have been our Mother’s 60th birthday, we remember her 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."
Expressing their gratitude, the princes signed the statement with Prince William and Prince Harry, sharing, "Thank you to Ian Rank-Broadley, Pip Morrison and their teams for their outstanding work, to the friends and donors who helped make this happen, and to all those around the world who keep our mother’s memory alive."
Prince Charles was not at the event, many believe to avoid stirring public emotion. A source told the Times of London, “These moments have the potential to resurface old wounds, and it brings back memories for him; happy, sad, regretful. Since Diana’s death, he has felt it’s best to keep those memories to himself and leave his sons to it.”