Princess Diana Statue Unveiling Live: Latest Updates as Harry and William Attend Event
- Statue of Diana, Princess of Wales, to be unveiled on what would have been her 60th birthday
- Prince William and Prince Harry will attend event in first fact-to-face meeting since Prince Philip's funeral
- Statue, which will display in the redesigned Sunken Garden in Kensington Palace, was commissioned by the brothers in 2017
- The statue unveiling is due to take place in the afternoon local time (morning in the U.S.)
Prince Harry and Prince William meet face-to-face in Princess Diana's memory for the unveiling of a statue on what would have been her 60th birthday.
The Kensington Palace reunion will be the first time they have seen each other in person since Prince Philip's funeral in April and comes against the backdrop of a bitter rift.
The pair spoke outside St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle on the day Queen Elizabeth II buried her husband of 73 years but since then there have been more bombshell revelations from both sides.
The Duke of Sussex told his mental health docuseries The Me You Can't See how his family responded with "total neglect" when he asked for help dealing with the media.
And a friend of Prince William told royal historian Robert Lacey how the Duke of Cambridge "threw Harry out" of Kensington Palace early in 2019.
Today, though, is about their mother who died in a Paris car crash on August 31, 1997, when William was 15 and Harry was 12.
Royal watchers have already gathered outside the gates of Kensington Palace where the statue will be unveiled in The Sunken Garden in the afternoon.
Photos of the princess cover the same cast iron gates where 24 years ago a sea of flowers were left in tribute to the iconic princess after her death.
Prince William and Prince Harry's Childhood With Princess Diana
Princess Diana raised her sons "so that their souls are not simply immersed by duty and tradition but can sing openly," according to her brother Charles Spencer's eulogy at her 1997 funeral.
Earl Spencer is expected at the Princess Diana statue unveiling at The Sunken Garden of Kensington Palace today.
Prince Harry Meets U.K. Public For First Time Since Royal Exit
Yesterday, Prince Harry made a surprise appearance at a London charity event to meet with seriously ill children, his first time speaking with the British public since his royal exit.
Prince Harry Said Princess Diana Believed Young People Can 'Change the World'
Prince Harry discussed today's event with Prince William during a pre-recorded speech for The Diana Award, published on Monday.
Prince Harry said: "Later this week, my brother and I are recognizing what would have been our mom's 60th birthday, and she would be so proud of you all for living an authentic life with purpose and with compassion for others.
"Our mom believed that young people have the power to change the world. She believed in your strength because she saw it day in and day out, and in the faces of young people exactly like you, she witnessed a boundless enthusiasm and passion."
He closed the speech by saying: "Stand up for what you believe in and trust that when you live by truth and in service to others, people will see that, just as they did with my mom."
Prince Harry Back in Britain for Princess Diana Statue Unveiling
The Duke of Sussex spent days in coronavirus quarantine in accordance with U.K. rules but emerged yesterday, Wednesday, June 30.
Harry left his British home, Frogmore Cottage, to head to the 2021 WellChild Awards, his first in-person charity job in the country of his birth since he quit royal duties in March 2020.
He spoke to winners at the event in Kew Gardens, West London, and told singer Ed Sheeran having two children is a "juggle."
The duke left daughter Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, born on June 4, at home in California with Meghan Markle and their son Archie, two, in order to make today's event.
Known as Lili, her first name is a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II while her middle name is nod to Princess Diana.
Kensington Palace's Sunken Garden Redesigned for Princess Diana
The Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace has been redesigned in Princess Diana's memory, using 4000 individual flowers.
Among the flower beds that surround a central pond are 100 of her favorites, forget-me-nots.
Pip Morrison, who designed the new layout, said: "This has been a very special project to work on, as the Sunken Garden was a favourite place of Diana, Princess of Wales.
"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."
Graham Dillamore, deputy head of gardens and estates at Historic Royal Palaces, said: "While she was in residence at Kensington Palace, Diana, Princess of Wales regularly admired the changing floral displays in the Sunken Garden and would always stop to talk with me and the other gardeners who cared for it.
"Over three decades later, I'm honoured to have been part of the team preparing the garden for the installation of this statue.
"We've incorporated a number of the Princess's favourite flowers into the design, and I hope that visitors to the palace and gardens will enjoy its peaceful setting, and take a moment to reflect on the life and legacy of the Princess."
The statue was already in position yesterday but still boxed up ahead of the unveiling.
