The statue dedicated to Princess Diana in the garden of Kensington Palace shows several children. Who are you? Everything you need to know about the monument.
The location and date for the ceremony were perfectly chosen: on Thursday, Prince William and Prince Harry unveiled the statue that they commissioned in honor of their mother, who died in 1997. On July 1st the “Princess of Hearts” would have turned 60. And the place where her sculpture stands was one of her favorite places: Diana spent a lot of time in the Sunken Garden north of Kensington Palace, including with her sons.
Harry and Meghan announced their engagement here in 2017. And in the future this place will remind the two brothers even more of their mother. Because at the head of the artificially created pond there is now a bronze statue showing Princess Diana surrounded by three children.
It was designed by the well-known English sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley. His works are exhibited in the British Museum and the Rijksmuseum, among others. He also created the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, which is minted on the pound coins and held in the hand by millions of British people every day.
William and Harry commissioned the statue
Rank-Broadley erected the statue according to the wishes of the two Princes William and Harry. It is supposed to represent “the universality and the intergenerational influence” of Diana’s work and refer to “her role as ambassador for humanitarian purposes”, as it was said. Her look – the short hair and her clothes – are based on the last period of her life.
Her name and the date of the unveiling are engraved on the base under the statue. There is also a cobblestone on which an excerpt from the poem “The Measure of A Man” is engraved. It says: “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?”.
But who are the children depicted in the sculpture? RTL nobility expert Michael Begasse believes the portrayal should show Diana “as a protector for children, the weak and the needy”. It was no coincidence that the little boy on her right had African American roots. The statue was planned long before Harry and Meghan made racism allegations against the palace – this is to emphasize Diana’s commitment to all children regardless of their main color. She shows how her sons want to keep her in mind: As the “princess of hearts”, so Begasse.
The ceremony took place on a small scale. In addition to the two sons, Diana’s siblings Charles Spencer, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes were also present. However, the company did not linger long: About 20 minutes after the end of the ceremony, Prince Harry is said to have left Kensington Palace again.
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