Who Are The Three Children With Princess Diana As Part Of Her New Statue?
A new statue of Princess Diana has been unveiled at the Sunken Garden on the grounds of Kensington Palace on July 1. Prince William and Prince Harry commissioned the statue back in 2017 — around the 20th anniversary of Diana's death, according to BBC News. The completion of the statue was delayed due to the coronavirus, but it has been uncovered on what would have been Diana's 60th birthday. "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," William and Harry said in a joint statement, according to People magazine. "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.
The statue was sculpted by Ian Rank-Broadley, according to Cosmopolitan, and features Diana wearing a belted dress while standing with three children around her. Since the unveiling occurred, many people are wondering who the three children are. There are two boys and a girl, which led some to think they were symbolic of William's three kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, but that actually isn't the case. Keep reading to find out who the three children are meant to depict.
Princess Diana is joined by three children in a bronze statue
It seems the three children standing with Princess Diana aren't meant to resemble anyone specific. According to the Independent, the three children are simply meant to represent "the universality and generational impact" of the work that Diana did. Diana spent a great deal of her time giving back to those less fortunate, people who were sick, and, of course, children. "Throughout her life, Diana devoted herself to serving others, especially those without a voice. She was President or Patron of over 100 charities as a part of her royal duties, many of which did work on behalf of homeless and disabled people, children, and people with HIV/AIDS," the Diana's Legacy website reads.
In the front of the bronze statue, there is a stone that features a poem that was inspired by The Measure of A Man. "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?" the inscription reads, according to the Independent.
Sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley shared the reason for adding the children to Princess Diana's statue
At first glance — looking at the statue from the front — only two children can be clearly seen with Princess Diana. Many people immediately thought that the two children were Prince William and Prince Harry when they were kids. However, one of the sculptures on the front right is a female, which put that idea to bed rather quickly, but questions about the three children remained. Thankfully, cculptor Ian Rank-Broadley went into some detail about why the decision was made to add children to the piece.
He explained that it was important for William and Harry to showcase the gentleness and the compassion that their mother was known for. The three children posed around the Princess of Wales help give some warmth to the statue. "Diana, Princess of Wales was an icon who touched the lives of people right around the world, so it has been a privilege to work with Prince William and Prince Harry on this statue, which commemorates her life. We wanted to capture her warmth and humanity while showcasing the impact she had across generations. I hope people will enjoy visiting the statue and the Sunken Garden, taking a moment to remember the Princess," Rank-Broadley said, according to The Sun. As you can see, Diana's bronze arms are gently rest on the shoulders of two of the children.
Princess Diana always loved children
Princess Diana always had a fondness for children, even when she was young. According to Huff Post, Diana "worked as a nanny and a kindergarten assistant before marrying Prince Charles." The site also reports that Diana simply loved being a mother. It's unclear if Diana wanted to have more children of her own, though many sites, like Showbiz Cheatsheet suggest that she did. While she dated after her divorce from Charles, she didn't have any more kids after Harry. Sadly, Diana died in 1997 when she was just 36-years-old.
Both Prince William and Prince Harry have spoken out about how their mother would be with her grandchildren — she would have had five as of 2021 — and it seems clear that they feel that she would have absolutely loved that role. Showbiz Cheatsheet reports that Diana would have been very "hands on" with her grandchildren — and William would agree. In the 2017 documentary "Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy," William said that his mother would "love the children to bits, but she'd be an absolute nightmare" (via Closer). He was joking, of course, but the way he pictured his mom with his own kids was very sweet — and painted a wonderful picture of just how loving — and fun — his mother was. "She'd come and go and she'd come in probably at bath time, cause an amazing amount of scene, bubbles everywhere, bathwater all over the place, and then leave," he joked.