Everything We Know About Princess Diana's Statue Unveiling
A statue of Princess Diana was commissioned by Prince William and Prince Harry back in 2017 in honor of the 20th anniversary of her death. At the time, the brothers released a statement on Twitter announcing their decision to memorialize their late mom. "It has been twenty years since our mother's death and the time is right to recognize her positive impact in the UK and around the world with a permanent statute. Our mother touched so many lived. We hope the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on her life and her legacy," the statement read in part.
According to The Sun, William and Harry chose British artist Ian Rank-Broadley to design and sculpt the statue, which will be placed at Kensington Palace's Sunken Garden — one of Diana's favorite locations. And while the brothers had originally hoped that the statue would be completed by the end of 2017, it has taken much longer. The coronavirus pandemic caused the re-planned 2020 unveiling to be pushed back further, with a date now set for July 1, which would have been Diana's 60th birthday. Keep reading to find out who is expected to attend the event.
Prince Harry is expected to fly to the UK for the unveiling
Prince William and Prince Harry are both expected to attend the unveiling of Princess Diana's statue on July 1. Both William and Harry are expected to speak at the ceremony, albeit separately. "The brothers will be physically together for the ceremony but want to make their own personal addresses," a source told The Sun. There has been some concern over Harry's availability for the event, given the fact that he and his wife, Meghan Markle, are expecting their second child over the summer. Although Meghan's exact due date is unknown, it has been widely reported that the plan is still for Harry to attend the unveiling. "'His intention is to come back. One may wonder, if his wife has just had a baby, I'm sure he could jump on a private jet and make a flying visit," royal expert Russell Myers told the Daily Mail at the end of April.
Given the fact that Meghan will either be extremely pregnant or at home with a newborn and a toddler, the Duchess of Sussex is unlikely to attend. Meanwhile, William's wife, Kate Middleton, is expected to attend, though her appearance has not been confirmed, according to Cosmopolitan. It is unknown whether William and Kate's children will be in attendance. It is also unclear if the unveiling will be televised, or streamed in any way.