Royals

Reunited in the name of Diana: Prince Harry and Prince William come together to unveil Diana’s 60th birthday statue

The two brothers gathered at Kensington Palace for the big reveal.
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Prince Harry and Prince William have reunited before their mother, Princess Diana’s statue at Kensington Palace.

Taking place on July 1, what would have been her 60th birthday, the two brothers came together in an emotional unveiling of a statue they commissioned of Diana in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace.

The short but sweet event showed another, tender side to the brothers’ sweet relationship. One we rarely see given Harry now lives in the United States while William remains in the UK.

The brothers put on a united front as they entered the Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace for the big reveal, walking shoulder-to-shoulder before coming together to unveil the creation.

The pair were also joined by members of the statue committee, the sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley, and garden designer, Pip Morrison and Diana’s three siblings, sisters Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Charles Spencer for the intimate event.

United front: Harry and William have reunited for the unveiling of Princess Diana’s statue.

(Image: Getty)

Sharing an official statement via the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Instagram account, the royal siblings spoke about the inspiration behind the bronze statue and the side of their mother they hoped to capture.

“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.”

Diana’s statue shows the humanitarian in her element with three young children as she lovingly puts her arms around them.

The bronze statue of the late Princess Diana shows her with her arms around two young children, with a third child in the background.

(Image: Getty)

Princes William and Harry commissioned the statue back in 2017, now four years in the making.

At the time, the Palace released a statement: “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.”

Prince Harry looked delighted with the end results.

(Image: Getty)

Harry and William will no doubt find comfort in the peaceful newly designed garden around their mother’s statue.

(Getty)

Meanwhile, the choice in location for the statue holds a very sentimental meaning and reflects Diana in many beautiful ways. The Sunken Gardens was Diana’s favourite place within Kensington Palace when she herself resided there with Prince Charles.

The space has been given a recent refresh, as per a Palace statement, the newly-designed gardens have been redesigned to include a generously-sized lawn around the pool to create a calmer and more reflective setting for Diana’s statue statue.

Around the garden are more than 200 roses and 100 Forget-me-nots (Diana’s favourite flower), as well as a variety of other springtime blooms in pastel shades.

The garden’s designer Pip Morrison said in a statement: “This has been a very special project to work on… We have worked carefully to ensure that the new layout and planting scheme compliments the statue, providing a calming place for people who visit Kensington Palace to remember The Princess.”

WATCH IN THE PLAYER BELOW: Prince Harry and Prince William arrive at the Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace. Post continues after the video…

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This marks Prince Harry’s second trip back to the UK following his departure from royal duties.

(Image: Getty)

The milestone reunion comes after a busy few weeks for Prince Harry, who welcomed a baby daughter Lilibet with wife Duchess Meghan in June.

The dad-of-two remained at his Santa Barbara home to settle into life as a family of four before he jet-setted across to the UK for the statue unveiling.

William meanwhile has been busy attending various events in the UK, including one earlier this week with The Queen herself as she commenced a four-day visit to Scotland.

After such a flurry of activity, we have a sneaking suspicion the two brothers will enjoy a little respite away from the cameras together, where they can have a good old catch up.

WATCH: Prince Harry and William chat together at Prince Philip’s funeral:

“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 in a statement.

(Image: Getty)

“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.”

(Image: Getty)

Want more on Princess Diana’s 60th birthday? Check out the below stories:

Before Duchess Catherine, Princess Diana owned the ultimate wardrobe of glamorous dresses

Celebrating England’s rose as Princess Diana’s 60th birthday approaches

Queen of casual: All the super-chic outfits you forgot Princess Diana wore back in the day

Straight from the archives: 30 rare photos of Princess Diana you’ve never seen before

Princess Diana’s bodyguard Ken Wharfe reveals what she was really like

From a secret sibling to a surprise gesture which enraged Prince Charles: what you didn’t know about the world’s most famous woman, Princess Diana

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