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William, Harry to unveil statue of Diana

Tony JonesAAP
Harry and William (pictured in 1991) hope the statue will help people reflect on Diana's legacy.
Camera IconHarry and William (pictured in 1991) hope the statue will help people reflect on Diana's legacy. Credit: AP

The sons of Diana, Princess of Wales will put their differences aside when they unveil a statue in her memory on what would have been her 60th birthday.

The Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex's troubled relationship is well documented, but their mother will be their focus on Thursday as they honour her memory.

A royal source has already described the ceremony, which will take place on Thursday at Diana's former home, Kensington Palace, as being a "small event and a very personal moment for the family".

Kensington Palace has confirmed the royal brothers and Diana's close family, thought to be her siblings, will attend the unveiling, along with the statue committee and others involved in the process of erecting it in the palace's Sunken Garden.

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Ian Rank-Broadley, who has a long record of creating images of the royal family, was chosen to sculpt it, and he will be among the invited guests, along with garden designer Pip Morrison.

But the scope of the unveiling has been reduced, with many of Diana's friends and colleagues unable to attend due to coronavirus regulations.

When the brothers commissioned the statue in 2017 - the 20th anniversary year of Diana's death - their relationship was in a better place, as they worked together to promote issues such as raising awareness about mental health.

But today they appear divided not just physically, with Harry living in California with his wife and children, but in outlook, as Harry raised a string of allegations about the royal family, the most damning being a claim of racism.

Yet following the funeral of their grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, the men appeared at ease in each other's company, as they left the service deep in conversation.

The unveiling was delayed, with the COVID-19 pandemic playing a part in the ceremony now taking place 60 years after the princess was born.

In a statement when the project was announced, the brothers said: "Our mother touched so many lives. We hope the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on her life and her legacy."

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