Princess Diana’s long-awaited tribute statue has finally been unveiled and, though many royal fans were sidetracked by the poignant reunion between Princes William and Harry, others were firmly focused on the same thing the brothers were – the statue itself.
WATCH: Prince Harry and Prince William arrive at the Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace
On what would have been her 60th birthday, Princess Diana was honoured by the unveiling a statue in what was reportedly her favourite spot, the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace.
In attendance were both the late Princess’ sons William and Harry who, despite their fiery feud, put their differences aside as they uncloaked the statue.
It was Harry who got to do the honours of unveiling the artwork. The statue, created by Ian Rank-Broadley, features Diana as a humanitarian, with three young children by her side as she lovingly drapes her arms around them.
But not all were too pleased with the sculptor’s work.
It was, of course, the Twitter-sphere where royal fans made their opinions known. And many had a similar bone to pick with the tribute.
“It looks sooo masculine,” wrote one user.
Another agreed, writing, “You can put it at any angle… Still looks nothing like Diana, too masculine”.
“I don’t think it looks like her. She was way more beautiful than that.”
Some were not a fan of the statue’s hair and belt, while others suggested the inanimate object needed to look a bit happier.
“She should be smiling… Not keen on it. Perhaps it’s better close up,” one user wrote.
There were, however, a just as vocal group of royal fans who came out in the statue’s defence.
“Christ, people even telling a statue of a woman to smile more,” one user wrote.
“I think it captures the strength of her spirit and love and that is neither masculine nor feminine,” another added.
“I love the clothes!! – those are her ‘get down to work’ clothes,” a third pointed out.
“This is perfect, absolutely gorgeous, it represents Diana, her humanitarian work with people from different races. Amazing work.”
WATCH: Prince Harry and Prince William unveil the new Princess Diana statue on her 60th birthday (Story continues after video)
Sharing an official statement via the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Instagram account, Princes William and Harry spoke about the inspiration behind the statue and the side of their mother they hope it captured.
“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,” the brothers said.
“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.”
