Remembering a legend. Prince William and Prince Harry are commissioning a statue of their mother, the late Princess Diana, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of her death, Kensington Palace announced on Saturday, January 28.
“A statue of Diana, Princess of Wales will be erected in the grounds of Kensington Palace at the request of her sons, The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry,” the release reads. “The Princes have convened a committee to commission and privately raise funds for the creation of the statue. This committee will advise on the selection of the sculptor and will work with Historic Royal Palaces on the statue’s installation in the public gardens of Kensington Palace.”
Princess Diana was just 36 years old when she died in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997. Both Prince William and Prince Harry have been more vocal in recent years about their love for their mother and the difficulties of dealing with her death.
In the release, the royal sons said, “It has been twenty years since our mother’s death and the time is right to recognize her positive impact in the UK and around the world with a permanent statue. 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.”
Earlier this month, William, 34, got personal when speaking to kids at the Child Bereavement U.K. center, telling a 9-year-old girl, Aoife — who lost her father to pancreatic cancer six years ago — that he had experienced similar pain. “Do you know what happened to me? You know, I lost my mummy when I was very young too,” he said.
“I was 15, and my brother was 12,” the second in line to the throne continued. “Do you speak about your daddy? It’s very important to talk about it. Very, very important.”
Though the sculpting of the statue will begin soon, there is no official date for its unveiling.
