Princes William and Harry put their differences aside on Thursday to unveil a statue of Princess Diana that cemented her late mother’s place in royal history on her 60th birthday.
Diana’s three siblings joined the brothers for the private ceremony at Sunken Garden in London’s Kensington Palace, a place where the princess once found solace. It was only the second time the brothers appeared together in public since Harry had given up his royal duties over a year ago.
The statue, which shows a larger than life Diana surrounded by three children, was commissioned by the brothers in 2017. The style of her clothes is supposed to remind of the last phase of her life when she gained confidence in her humanitarian work.
The statue shows a larger than life Diana surrounded by three children. (Photo: AP)
“Today, on our mother’s 60th birthday, we remember her love, strength and character, traits that have made her a force for good around the world and changed countless lives for the better,” said William and Harry in a joint statement. “Every day we wish that she was still with us, and we hope that this statue will forever be seen as a symbol of her life and legacy.”
The statue is “immensely significant” because it underscores the brothers’ efforts to portray Diana as someone connected with the people and modernizing the monarchy, said Robert Lacey, a historian and author of Battle of Brothers: William, Harry and the inside story of a family in turmoil. Traditionalists had criticized it as undermining centuries of tradition.
“Statues are not popular, fashionable, or politically correct these days,” said Lacey. “The fact that Diana, once a rebel, the royal outcast, is elevated with her own pedestal and position says a lot about the way the British monarchy will develop and move on.”
Royal watchers, hoping the unveiling ceremony would provide some insight into the state of Williams and Harry’s strained relationship, were likely disappointed. The video released after the event showed the brothers entering the garden together before speaking to family members and then pulling on two ropes to remove the cover from the statue.
On their only other appearance recently, the couple seemed to have a friendly chat for their grandfather, Prince Philip, after the funeral. However, later reports showed that there was little progress in easing the gap.
Relations between the brothers have become painfully strained in recent months as William defended the royal family from accusations of racism and insensitivity from Harry and his wife Meghan from their new home in Southern California.
Harry stepped down from his royal duties last year and moved his family to the United States to live a more peaceful life that he could better control. William has moved on with royal life and the never-ending demands that accompany his role as second in line to the throne.
The relationship grew tense in March when Harry and Meghan interviewed US talk show host Oprah Winfrey.
Confirming rumors that he and his brother had drifted apart, Harry said, “The relationship is ‘space’ right now,” although he added that “hopefully time will heal all things.” Harry also told Winfrey that his father, Prince Charles, didn’t take his calls for a while.
The couple announced that an unidentified member of the royal family had raised concerns about how dark their skin might be before their first child was born. Days after it aired, William responded to questions from reporters, stating that his family was “very much not a racist family”.
But Diana’s memory is something that still unites the princes.
Both William and Harry try to control their mother’s portrayal by highlighting their philanthropy and common touch while disregarding the controversies, said historian Ed Owens, author of The Family Firm: Monarchy, Mass Media and the British Public 1932-1953 Royal family public relations strategy.
Britain’s Prince William and Prince Harry arrive for the unveiling of the statue on July 1st (Photo: AP)
“I think they both share a common view of Diana that they both want to promote,” Owens said. “The reinterpretation of Diana that is currently taking place via the princes is completely complementary. And I think for Thursday’s sake the past will be the past. ”
Those touched by the life of the preschool teacher-turned-princess remember her before her birthday and remember the intricate royal rebel that left a lasting mark on the House of Windsor.
Not far from the new statue, Diana fan Abdul Daoud immortalized the memory of the princess in his Café Diana, which opened in 1989.
Pictures of Diana groan on the walls of the café. There she meets Mother Teresa. Or hold flowers. Or in a tiara.
Daoud wants people to remember the beauty and kindness of the princess who came in for a cappuccino. Daoud knew Diana liked lilies, so Daoud sent her flowers to celebrate her birthday. One of his proudest possessions is a thank you letter she once sent him.
These days he is celebrating her birthday his own way and going to Kensington Palace to lay lilies at the gates of their former home.
“It is my duty, my duty to carry on her legacy forever,” Daoud said of her good works and kindness. “I want to help people remember them best as I remembered them.”
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