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Princess Diana’s 60th Birthday Commemorated with Statue Unveiling at Kensington Palace
Princess Diana would have turned 60 today, and in honor of this poignant milestone, her sons Prince Harry, 36, and Prince William, 39, commissioned a new statue to be permanently placed in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, one of her favorite spots.
The private event, attended by a select number of Diana’s close family and friends, was filled with sweet moments that appeared to show Harry and William at peace with one another.
Among the attendees were Diana’s siblings—Earl Spencer, 57, Lady Sarah MacAucadale, 66, and Jane Fellows, 64—as well as the artist behind the sculpture, Ian Rank Broadley, and garden designer Pip Morrison, who helped revamp the garden to reflect Diana’s tastes.
This statue unveiling marked the first public reunion for William and Harry since their grandfather Prince Philip’s funeral in April.
In a joint statement released after the event, Harry and William expressed their sentiments: “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.
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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.
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.”
Despite the ongoing tensions between the brothers since the Sussexes’ revealing interview with Oprah Winfrey in March, this event provided a public opportunity for them to reconcile.
Although there was no live coverage of the ceremony, photos and footage were released shortly after it concluded around 2:30 pm on Thursday.
The images showed William and Harry walking side by side as they made their way to the sunken garden.
Prior to the unveiling, the only other pictures that emerged were of Diana’s brother Earl Spencer and her two sisters Lady Sarah McCorkadale and Jane Fellows arriving at the palace on foot.
The absence of live coverage allowed those present to enjoy the engagement in a private setting.
Prince Harry has previously spoken about the profound impact his mother’s tragic death has had on his life, and he may have welcomed the opportunity to observe the event away from the cameras.
However, some royal fans, experts, and commentators took to Twitter to express their disappointment at the lack of coverage.
Daily Mail Royal Editor Richard Eden wrote, “Such a shame there’s no live coverage of this event.”
On the other hand, commentator Marlon Koenig defended the decision, stating, “It is technically a private event for two men who lost their mom.
Wait till people find out that the sunken garden is not open to the public except on rare occasions such as a garden tour which I did a few years ago.
You can walk around the rim of most of it.”
Speculation arose that the limited coverage could be attributed to the ongoing tensions between William and Harry in recent months, with one Twitter user suggesting, “It is a shame, but in order to keep the peace, this had to be done.
Now everything else can move on.
Sadly, this unveiling became a circus act.”
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