What would have been Princess Diana’s 60th birthday is fast approaching and, despite being amidst a big brotherly feud, Princes Harry and William are honouring their late mother with a statue.
And, yes, it means they will have to be in the same room again.
WATCH: Princes William and Harry play with Princess Diana
Princess Diana’s birthday falls on July 1st. This year, the beloved royal would have been 60 years old.
Since her untimely and devastating death back in 1997, the People’s Princess’ legacy has lived on. From her defiance of traditional royal customs, to her flair for fashion, Diana’s lasting impact cannot be underplayed.
To commemorate the adored Princess of Wales, a statue of Diana has been commissioned to be unveiled on her birthday. Here’s everything we know about the sweet tribute to the People’s Princess.
Who commissioned the statue?
Princes William and Harry commissioned the statue back in 2017… you know, back when things weren’t so icy between the two brothers.
“The statue that Prince William and Prince Harry have commissioned to commemorate their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, will be installed [in 2021] on what would have been her 60th Birthday,” a statement from Kensington Palace read.
So, the tribute has been four years in the making and the final product will be revealed on July 1st.
Where will the statue be installed?
According to reports, the statue will lay in Diana’s favourite spot – the grounds of Kensington Palace, also known as the Sunken Garden.
And this won’t be the only tribute to the princess within the gorgeous grounds. In 2017, on the 20th anniversary of her death, Diana’s favourite flowers (forget-me-knots, white lilies, roses, tulips, daises and narcissi) were scattered around the garden to commemorate her life and legacy.
In a sweet touch, the white colour scheme was reportedly an ode to Diana’s personal style.
WATCH: Prince Charles admits to being unfaithful in his marriage to Diana (Story continues after video)
Who is the sculptor?
In other words, who is the brave soul taking on this potentially career-defining challenge that could see a bunch of Diana fans either shake their fists or clap their hands at the result?
The sculptor is Ian Rank-Broadley. If you don’t recognise the name, you will probably recognise one of his creations. The artist designed the image of the Queen that is used on the UK’s coins.
Somehow, we think he’s up to this challenge.
Who will be attending the unveiling?
While the guest list is currently up in the air, the commissioners of the statue – i.e. William and Harry – are, of course, said to be attending the tribute.
Prince Harry is currently officially in the UK and undertaking mandatory quarantine before the unveiling, and William is also expected to make an appearance – but the same can’t be said for the royals’ respective wives.
Indeed, although it was originally reported by US website Radar Online that the Duchess of Sussex would be accompanying Harry to his home country, more recent information suggests that this is not the case.
According to a report from the Daily Mirror, a source close to Harry and Meghan has explained why the duchess is staying in America while her husband makes the trip solo.
“Meghan is not going to travel,” the insider told the publication. “She has just had a baby and Harry will travel alone.”
What’s more, according to royal reporter Camilla Tominey, it seems that Kate Middleton may be taking a leaf out of her sister-in-law’s book.
“We’ve never really been told that family is going to be included in this thing,” the royal expert told Today. “Never any suggestions that the Cambridges would attend along with Prince William and, equally, that Meghan and the children would attend with Harry. So I think we may just see them cut solo figures without their families around them.”
Guess we won’t be seeing a fab four reunion anytime soon.
Will William and Harry put up a united front?
Beats us.
The brothers, of course, stood sweetly united at their grandfather Prince Philip’s funeral. However, if recent reports are anything to go by, we aren’t going to be witnessing a brotherly embrace any time soon.
According to The Sun, William and Harry have insisted on giving separate speeches during the ceremony.
A source told the publication, “The brothers will be physically together for the ceremony but want to make their own personal addresses.
“You might have thought they’d go for a joint statement and speech but that’s not the case. Each has insisted on preparing their own.”
They added: “It is a big concern that their body language will suggest all is not well and they won’t present a united front.”
We suppose only time will tell.
