Prince William and Prince Harry reunited at Kensington Palace this afternoon for the unveiling of a much anticipated statue of their late mother, Diana, on what would have been the Princess' 60th birthday. It's been reported William will also view the statue with Kate and the children privately.
In a joint statement, William and Harry said: "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. 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."
The statue was commissioned in 2017, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of Diana's death. At the time, the princes released a statement reading: "It has been 20 years since our mother's death and the time is right to recognise her positive impact in the UK and around the world with a permanent statue. Our mother touched so many lives. We hope the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on her life and her legacy." They added "the time was right" to recognise the positive impact their mother had made on so many people all over the world.
A six-strong committee, with members including Diana's sister Lady Sarah McCorquodale and the princes' mentor Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, chose sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley for the prestigious commission.
The renowned British sculptor has produced much-admired works, including designs of the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Queen Mother for British coinage. In 2012, he was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Vicenza Numismatica.
The small gathering saw committee members invited alongside Diana's siblings, Charles Spencer, Lady Jane Fellows and the aforementioned Sarah.
It has been described as "a very personal moment for the family".
A video from the arrival.
The Duke of Cambridge and Duke of Sussex have unveiled a statue to mark what would have been Princess Diana's 60th birthday.@SkyRhiannon says the statue aims to convey her character and compassion.
— Sky News (@SkyNews) July 1, 2021
Read more: https://t.co/1lmyN8Ox09 pic.twitter.com/57PTVnz9LK
The Palace said the design was chosen to "reflect the warmth, elegance and energy of Diana, Princess of Wales", adding, "The figure of Diana, Princess of Wales is surrounded by three children who represent the universality and generational impact of the Princess’ work. The portrait and style of dress was based on the final period of her life as she gained confidence in her role as an ambassador for humanitarian causes and aims to convey her character and compassion."
A plinth beneath the statue is engraved with Diana's name and today's date. In front, a paving stone is engraved with an extract from the poem 'The Measure of a Man', which featured in the programme for the 2007 memorial service for Diana:
“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 Rank-Broadley revealed the bronze statue is "1.25x life size. It was cast by Castle Fine Arts Foundry in the traditional 'lost-wax' process with a patina of a bluish green over black. The cast is hollow and is supported by a stainless-steel armature." He spoke about the commission and how he hoped to capture the Princess. "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 alongside 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 that people will enjoy visiting the statue and the Sunken Garden, and taking a moment to remember The Princess."
To coincide with the unveiling of the statue, photos of the beautifully redesigned Sunken Garden were revealed.
The garden was one of Diana's favourite spots and palace gardeners fondly remember her frequent visits. Pip Morrison led the project working closely with the Historic Royal Palaces team led by Deputy Head of Gardens and Estates, Graham Dillamore.
In a statement, the Palace revealed, "The new design for the garden by Pip Morrison retains the historic structures within a simplified layout of deeper flower borders and a more generous lawn around the pool to create a calmer and more reflective setting for the statue. The planting design features a number of the Princess’s favourite flowers, including forget-me-nots, as well as many other spring and summer blooms in a variety of pastel shades. Work on the garden began in October 2019, and since then five gardeners have spent a total of 1,000 hours working on planting."
Pip Morrison said, "This has been a very special project to work on, as the Sunken Garden was a favourite place of Diana, Princess of Wales. We have worked carefully to ensure that the new layout and planting scheme compliments the statue, providing a calming place for people who visit Kensington Palace to remember the Princess."
Graham Dillamore added, “While she was in residence at Kensington Palace, Diana, Princess of Wales regularly admired the changing floral displays in the Sunken Garden and would always stop to talk with me and the other gardeners who cared for it. Over three decades later, I’m honoured to have been part of the team preparing the garden for the installation of this statue. We’ve incorporated a number of the Princess’s favourite flowers into the design, and I hope that visitors to the palace and gardens will enjoy its peaceful setting, and take a moment to reflect on the life and legacy of the Princess."
More than 4.000 individual flowers have been planted, including 500 lavender plants, 100 dahlias, 50 sweet peas, 200 roses of five varieties including Ballerina and Blush Noisette, 300 tulips and forget-me-nots.
Forget-me-nots are particularly synonymous with Diana. We've seen the flowers chosen to honour her time and time again by her sons and daughters-in-law. The Duchess of Cambridge chose the little blue flowers to feature as part of her 'Back to Nature' garden at RHS Chelsea. Below, Kate planting ahead of the unveiling of the garden. It was reported Kate wanted the garden to reflect "memories".
As always, crowds gathered outside KP to mark Diana's birthday.
Large crowd gathered outside Kensington Palace as wellwishers and media try to be as close to the action — taking place privately behind a large hedge — as possible. #dianaat60 #princessdiana pic.twitter.com/n4T7OXTFuB
— Simon Perry (@SPerryPeoplemag) July 1, 2021
Floral tributes and portraits adorned the gates.
Another video from the memorable occasion.
"Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you." - Diana, Princess of Wales.
And on that fitting note, I'm reminded of another quote of Diana:
"Family is the most important thing in the world."
Today is about honouring Diana and what she meant to her sons and the family she never had the opportunity to meet: Kate, Meghan, George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie and Lilibet. I'm very much hoping for today we can keep the focus on Diana herself and the legacy of a woman who meant so much to so many.
The garden and statue will be enjoyed by many for generations to come.
43 comments:
Comments are most welcome! Constructive discussion is always encouraged but off topic or hateful remarks will not be published.
We ask you use a name when posting (a pseudonym such as the name of a royal you like or anything you wish). If you do not wish to use the sign in options, simply select the "Name/URL" option on the drop down menu and insert your name, and if you wish the country/state you're from. You can leave the URL blank.
If there are a large number of comments, it is necessary to click the 'Load More' button at the end of the comments section to see the latest additions.
Thank you, Charlotte . I’m eager to see more photos of the statue itself when more people can get it to take photos. Outdoor sculpture is very dynamic and seems to change with seasons and light. Nice to see the brothers and Diana’s siblings there. This garden looks so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWell, I love it! Diana has always looked different to me depending on her hairstyle, the lighting, her emotions -- it must have been hard to capture here. The height of the statue and placement really seem to pull together the whole beautiful garden. The addition of children, including a girl and a child of color, is lovely. I would like to see more angles. This is a job well done and secures Diana's memory. And I don't like Erdem usually, but Kate's dress has a beautiful pattern, and now I realize the significance.
ReplyDeleteDo you know whether the garden will be opened to the public? When I visited in 2018, it wasn't.
ReplyDeleteHello,
DeleteI understand it can be viewed from the Cradle Walk only. I don't believe visitors can actually walk around the Sunken Garden.
I really like the statue of Diana that was unveiled today. It is exactly as I remember her. The artist really accomplished the essence of her in my opinion. I wish we could see the third little child hiding in the background. I may be totally off base but, I recall her wearing this particular fashion statement one day when she was picking up one of the boys at school. The captured photo had her either going up or coming down the entrance stairs to the building. Is it possible that I remember this? Harry is looking very relaxed and in good company with his mothers extended family. I thought they gave him a warm welcome. I am sure this garden will now become a major tourist attraction as it should as time passes. I would think Harry will be immediately jetting off to home and spending the 4th of July Holiday weekend with his family. I imagine the holiday like driving on the opposite side of the road is one more new way of life.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately this garden will not become a tourist attraction, as it is seldom opened to the public. It is meant to be a private garden for those living at Kensington Palace. If it were a public garden, then Diana would not have been able to go there very often. One can walk around the perimeter of the garden, but with the walls and high hedges would not be able to see very much. In some ways it is sad that a statue to honour Diana will not be available for many to see it.
DeleteGreat to see the brothers together again. As all close siblings, they will work things out put the past behind them. I think the statue is beautiful and depicts Diana at an older age, perhaps 60. What a wonderful tribute.
ReplyDeleteIt's absolutely beautiful. I'll admit tearing up a little bit. I think it captures her energy wonderfully.
ReplyDeleteWhat a moving statue of Diana. It is so fitting that she be surrounded by children, and in the beautiful setting of the garden she loved. Her beloved sons made their mother proud today.
ReplyDeleteLovely they unveiled it on Diana‘s 60th birthday. From the photos I saw - it might look different in person - I have a hard time finding the intended elegance, warmth and hee energy in this statue. Especially its face does not look a lot like Diana. Pl forgive me, only speaking my truth.
ReplyDeleteI agree
DeleteYes Maria I do agree with you. They seem to have a problem getting Royal Portraits right - remember Kate's portrait? But I love her "work dress" as this was how she saw herself, as well as being a mother. Her work outfits were practical but fashionable. And I love the fact that she is with children which was always her focus. RIP
Delete@Blueskygal : interesting. Because I actually wouldn’t say that children were her focus. She didn’t single them out as much as she focused on more general topics. The fact we got some very poignant photos of her with children might cover that up. But the work she is most recognisable be remembered for are the landmines and aids. Not really children specific like Kate’s early years (even though we might find that Diana will have made a bigger impact that Kate. But that’s for the future to judge).
DeleteC.
I agree. If I saw this sculpture without knowing who it was intended to represent, I'm not sure that I would be able to identify the subject as Diana. So much of the sculpture's volume is the soon-to-be-dated clothing and so little of it is the iconic woman herself. Wonder how Prince William and Price Harry feel about it.
DeleteSo many statues disappoint me because the likeness doesn't quite capture the looks of the person, but this one does not disappoint! What a beautiful statue! Well done to the sculptor! The garden looks beautiful, too! I don't feel so bad about my landscaping when I see that 5 gardeners worked for 1,000 hours over a year and a half to make it look so perfect! I wasn't expecting the inclusion of the children, but that is a very fitting tribute to Diana. A lovely event all in all!
ReplyDeleteA nice statue of the late POW. I would have liked one , only her, but very nice indeed. It seem her motto was Carry out a random act of kindness, just like Dr Albert Schweizer. Oh yes this was also a reminder, of my parents to us. This saying never gets old. Also very nice to see William and Harry talking to each other. Today would be the POW 60st Birthday, sadly she left so early.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely, lovely event. The low-key nature was a good choice.
ReplyDeleteI like the sculpture. I think it captures what Diana was all about. Her clothing is what she was wearing in that era. I hope this will grow on people and that negative first impressions will soften.
ReplyDeleteThe gardens are simply gorgeous! So tranquil. As long as her sons are happy with the sculpture and how everything turned out, that is all that matters. I think it was nice to have a quieter, intimate day with less guests and press pack. Sue
ReplyDeleteCharlotte, thank you for the background about the sculptor, the garden, and the people attending.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see a complete view of it. There is a third child in the back but you only see an arm and their legs(?) Strange that you can't see the third child head on. Makes me curious. But I do like the statue and the sentiment it was intended for. God bless the boys on this day.
ReplyDeleteIt wouldn’t be so bad, if you could freely move around the statue. But as it seeks the front view is the one most will get to see it is a bit questionable.
DeleteThe garden is beautiful. The sculpture will grow on me over time. I think it is rather sombre. I love the words from :The Measure of a Man" very fitting.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to see the brothers together again.
ReplyDeleteThe sculpture is a lovely tribute however I'm not so sure that its necessarily captured Diana's smile and warmth.
A lovely tribute though!
i am in the minority but i really dont like the statue. diana was statuesque but graceful and elegant and the statue makes her look like a line backer
ReplyDeleteFinally a fitting tribute to the late Princess. This is long overdue. The fact that it has taken nearly 25 years is very sad, also that it had to be commissioned by her sons and placed in one of their gardens. I was nervous that it would be a disappointment. Most paintings and statues just don't capture the magic and beauty of Diana. I think it is beautiful. The addition of the three children around her was a lovely touch. I didn't realise that the whole garden had been ripped out and redone till I watched the Doc On ch 5. Well done to all its a beautiful garden. The crowds outside the palace speak volumes let alone the tributes left for Diana. Still loved and will never be forgotten. Both her sons did her proud today. Which ever path they both take they will continue with her amazing work in their own way. Now that people have a place to go and reflect on Diana, I expect it will be very busy. Thanks for the post Charlotte. Beautiful pictures as always. S. ☺
ReplyDeleteI don’t know. I think you can very well question if a statue was actually needed. But yes, if you want to do so the timing is just too late. I love the impact she had in her causes. It will not be forgotten, but do we need a statue for everyone that makes such an impact? I know Germany actually has a massive hall to put up statues of important personalities. From politicians, to scientists and artists or freedom/resistance activists.
DeleteI think only very few people really will go and reflect on Diana. The mass hysteria about her has thankfully died down (for both vilifying and glorifying). And it’s not as if they can get even close to the statue.
Two men commissioning a memorial for their mother is nice. But it’s not as if it’s a long overdue must have moment. But obviously we can disagree about that.
As I wrote to reply to another comment, this garden is not open to the public and will only be open on a few special occasions. So it will not be a busy place as you suggest. It is a private garden for the people who live at Kensington Palace.
DeleteDiana was active with many causes, among them landmines and AIDS. As someone who has worked extensively in both areas in the 80’s and 90’s, I can tell you AIDS and landmines affected children directly and devastatingly. Children often are the ones injured by landmines because they herd animals, haul water and gather firewood. I’ve medevaced children whose legs were blown off by anti-personnel landmines and cared for the ones who died when hit by anti-tank/vehicle landmines. My colleagues have lost legs and nearly their lives to these mines. AIDS left generations of children orphans and/or infected. Things have improved with HIV/AID prevention and treatments, but landmines are still used extensively today.
DeleteThe problems with people is we have short term memory. Yesterday it was homelessness, landmines, AIDS. Today’s it’s early childhood education and environmental education. All these problems are still with us. It’s just that the person who highlighted them is gone and the public has moved onto other de jour causes.
Very well said. 👍 I for one will never forget all the hard work she did with landmines and HIV/AIDS. Her work on landmines has saved many life's and stopped many more from their lives being ruined. A legacy that continues to this day. The work the Princess did in breaking down the taboo around HIV and Aids paved the way for the more inclusive world we live in. Her work continues today through the Diana award. Good people doing good deeds. S. ☺
DeleteThis may be a duplicate, not seeing my post:) Love the garden not a fan of the sculpture.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful setting for a lovely tribute to their mum. I like to think that they all went back to William and Katherine's apartment at KP after the unveiling and raised a glass to Diana while all catching up and remembering the good times together.
ReplyDeleteI think the statue is fine. The outfit must have some significance to W&H otherwise the choice is a bit random. Her face wasn’t captured perfectly but it’s not the worst try. Someone said it looks like a headmistress and I have to agree. Still, compared to similar activities (mostly paintings and photographs) in the last years, it’s definitely one of the best.The three children are a bit strange though. One is almost always hidden and what exactly do they symbolise? I get the African boy = her work with landmines interpretation but all in all I am at a loss.
ReplyDeleteAnd I will be so bold and ask- what exactly is the point of the statue? If the public cannot go near it? If W&H wanted a stature in their private garden there was no need to make it such a public (just remember what was planned originally) occasion? I am a massive fan of Diana’s charity work. She really made a massive impact especially for the topics of landmines and AIDS. But they are not really reflected here. And the public does really not need a statue of her otherwise. It seems a bit like a vanity project for W&H. I mean, she will always be immensely important to them, but the public is not as connected to her apart from some die hard Diana fanatics. And you would think that’s exactly what they want, after numerous interviews where they expressed their irritation how fanatic and overbearing people where about her. So what is it? Private memorial or a public memorial? Because this looks like Diana-baiting to evoke those sentiments of the poor boys narrative which they both use sometimes for their own gain. Maybe I am overthinking it, but I really think this whole thing is completely out of proportion.
C.
I like the stance - the slightly uneven distribution of weight - which seems very Diana. I'm okay with the clothes and the principle of having children with her (I quite like that she's not alone on a plinth). I don't think the artist captured her face correctly and I've seen photos from other angles where her right arm looks ridiculously long. So overall, I don't love it. But I hope William and Harry do. I love the garden. I love the low-key unveiling. I love that the Spencers were there. I love that there were no speeches (I can't imagine how difficult it is for W & H to have to repeatedly put their grief into words for a global audience). Overall, I'm glad the day is over. The build up (in some parts of the British media) was way over the top. I'm relieved it went well.
ReplyDeleteYes the absence of noise complemented what looked like a peaceful and beautiful surrounding in nature. Sometimes silence is just nicely right. In this case it was - a form of closure too for a symbol represented in her current silence form.
DeleteI think it's beautiful..at first I wasn't sure, but the more I look at it, the better I like it. Her hands, particularly, are so gentle looking. Supporting and guiding and protecting the children, as she always did and would have continued to do.
ReplyDeleteThe clothing may well have been a favorite look for her, I believe it's what she wore in a Christmas card photo I the early 90's.
The quote is perfect. My eyes were quite teary on reading it.
I don't like the statue, but it's not up to me. I think the random children, who may represent something, don't go with a realistic statue of D. And I think she was so much more gorgeous than this. The garden is magnificent and the overall feel of the event and the statue in the garden is lovely. In light of current circumstances, the ceremony was lovely. From what I read, Harry was on the road 15 minutes after it ended, but the brothers carried it off beautifully.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to see the two brothers are coming to unveiled their mother ststur it'd has a great opportunity to catch up and talk deeper
ReplyDeleteIf you showed me the statue with no context I am not sure I would have recognized it as Diana. It is difficult to create a true likeness of somebody in a statue and Diana even more so, she had a joy and charisma that is elusive and for me missing in the this statue.
ReplyDeleteThe Princess of Wales fountain in Hyde Park will always be my personal favourite tribute to Diana. While it is not a statue and not without its fair share of critics either, the atmosphere of joy and fun on a summer afternoon manage to capture something of Diana’s essence that is missing in this statue.
lovely post Charlotte. it was nice to see william and harry in a united front for the statue unveiling of their wonderful mother. I love the sentiment of the statue of Princess Diana with the 3 lovely children. However, to me the statue doesnt look like her the face is too stern and not soft and just lacks her resemblance but the sentiment is what counts and it is in a beautiful spot and tribute to the true Queen of all our Hearts.
ReplyDeleteDiana is my favorite of all the modern royals. I came to appreciate Diana long after her death. When she died, it was sad and shocking, but being so young, I didn’t understand her significance at the time.
ReplyDeleteLooking back now, I see that she is the most singular and effective of the modern royals. She wasn’t popular due to her sheer longevity or for her work with charities and status. It was who she was. She didn’t try to pretend to be a pillar of steel, queenly and goodness.
Diana was a very young nineteen old whose life was manipulated and handled badly by the Palace minders. Her bloodline, virginity and youth made her the perfect wife candidate for Charles. You get the sense very little care went into treating or nurturing Diana as an individual or as a human being. For Diana to emerge from such a toxic place and became her own persona, developing her own sets of power, agenda and championing causes that at the time were an anathema to royal interest. To champion homelessness where the person is personalized and is not the sum of labels or adjectives demonstrate real genuine care. Diana made the cause about the people. She took us there. She hug them and shook their hands. Today that may seems unexceptional, but back then it was setting protocols on fire. Other royals and palace insiders resented her for that.
The Palace and the monarchy don’t want another Diana. Institutions like control and the monarchy hates changes, surprises, risks, and anomalies. Infidelities, lying, cheating, maintaining questionable relationships with questionable but powerful and very wealthy people are all acceptable with enough public relation rehab.
It’s no surprise to me that today’s monarchy has returned to carefully curated pomp and after Diana, curated populist images. We won’t see another Diana. The public can sense the kabuki theater despite the full on favorable royal press coverage. Today there is a continual attempt to rewrite the Diana narrative to emphasize her fragile mental health and her failings in order to make way for the next monarch and his consort. For me, that makes me like Diana even more. Because even in death, she prevails.
No statue will ever capture Diana.
lovely post!
DeleteDear Charlotte,
ReplyDeletethank you for your post. Especially in times when newspapers dive into gossip and only discuss the personal circumstances of such events, I appreciate your clear and on facts and positivity relying approach. Thank you!