Princess Diana Statue Will Be Unveiled On Her 60th Birthday - Forbes

TOPLINE

The installation of a statue of the United Kingdom’s beloved Princess Diana may have reportedly been pushed back because of the coronavirus pandemic, but circumstances have allowed for it to be unveiled on a sentimental occasion—what would have been Diana’s 60th birthday, her sons Prince William and Prince Harry announced Friday.

Princess Diana Wearing a Hat — Diana, Princess of Wales, during a state visit to Edmonton, Alberta, when she was still married to ... [+] Prince Charles.
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KEY FACTS

On Friday, Kensington Palace announced in a joint statement from William and Harry that the statue the two commissioned to remember their mother on the 20th anniversary of her death would be unveiled July 1, 2021.

It was first commissioned by Diana’s sons three years ago, but the coronavirus’ impact forced the installation plans to be pushed back, according to the BBC.

The statue will be placed in the Sunken Garden of Kensington Palace, which was reportedly one of her favorite places in the royal home she lived in for more than 15 years.

In 2017, a committee including William and Harry selected sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley for the project, who is perhaps best-known as the artist behind the image of Queen Elizabeth II used on U.K. coins.

The statue will be far from the first memorial dedicated to the late princess, who is one of the country’s most beloved figures: there is already a playground dedicated to her a stone’s throw away from Kensington Palace, as well as a memorial fountain in Hyde Park and an official seven-mile Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk anchored by 90 distinctive plaques that link sites across London that were meaningful in Diana’s life.

Next week will mark 23 years since Diana died in a car crash.

Crucial quote

“The princes hope the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on their mother’s life and legacy,” the Kensington Palace statement read.

Key background

Princess Diana is an extraordinary popular figure worldwide, even since her tragic death in a 1997 car accident in Paris. Even in 2002, she was named by voters in a BBC poll as the third-greatest Briton of all time. Kensington Palace may be the spot most associated with the princess, who continued living in an apartment on the grounds even after divorcing Prince Charles in 1996. Part of the palace complex is open to the public as a museum, and recently partially reopened last month after being closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. To mark the reopening, one of Diana’s most famous dresses was put on display. Called “the Travolta dress,” Diana wore the outfit in 1985 at a White House gala and was famously photographed dancing with actor John Travolta.