Princes
William and Harry are to build a permanent memorial statue of their mother
Diana in the public gardens of Kensington Palace.
The princes
hope to unveil the poignant tribute in time for the 20th anniversary of
Princess Diana’s death this August.
The Queen,
who was publicly criticised after Diana’s death for not flying a flag at
half-mast over Buckingham Palace, has given her full backing.
The exact
position of the historic statue has not been disclosed but a senior Royal
source said it could in view of William and Kate’s home.
A Buckingham
Palace spokesman last night told the Sunday People: “The Queen is aware of the
plans and supports the wish of the Duke and Prince Harry to memorialise the
life and work of their mother.”
A joint
statement from Prince William and Prince Harry said: “It has been 20 years
since our mother’s death and the time is right to recognise 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.
Princess
Diana was the embodiment of compassion, glamour and duty - a statue in her
memory is long overdue
The Duke of
Cambridge, 34, and Prince Harry, 32, are understood to have privately
campaigned for the honour to their mother for a number of years.
They have
formed a six-person committee to commission and privately raise funds for the
creation of the statue.
The committee,
chaired by the Princes’ trusted former private
secretary
Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, will advise on the selection of the sculptor.
It will also
work with the Historic Royal Palaces charity on installation.
Members of
The Diana, Princess of Wales Statue Committee include Diana’s older sister Lady
Sarah McCorquodale, 61, and one of Diana’s closest friends Julia Samuel, 57,
now Prince George’s godmother.
The other
three committee members are Gerry Farrell, city financier Guy Monson, a trustee
of Prince Harry’s Invictus Games Foundation, and Historic Royal Palaces
director of conservation and learning John Barnes.
Mr Barnes
said: “The statue will provide a permanent tribute to one of Kensington
Palace’s most memorable residents, Diana, Princess of Wales, in the gardens
which she greatly admired.”
A source
close to the Palace added: “Prince William and Prince Harry have dreamed of
doing this for a long time.
“They were both just boys when their mother
passed away, but are both now fully grown men and want to honour her in the
best way possible.
“It has
taken 20 years for this to finally come to fruition so they are determined it
will be a lasting and fitting legacy in what is their official London residence
and a place special to them both.”
A Kensington
Palace source yesterday said it is too early to say what the statue will look
like or exactly where in the grounds of Kensington Palace it will be. Last
March the Sunday People exclusively revealed the princes’ determination to
keep their mother’s memory alive by building a new landmark memorial garden
and exhibition in the grounds of her former London home.
Unseen footage of sisters Kate and Pippa
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The move
follows years of criticism for a series of failed efforts to build a fitting
tribute to Diana after her shock death in a car crash in Paris in 1997 at the
age of 36. William was 15 and Harry just 12 at the time.
A string of
public memorials and tributes have faltered and faced criticisms for their
failure to properly commemorate the princess.
In 2007 the
Concert For Diana at London’s Wembley Stadium raised cash for a string of
charities including the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.
But just six
years later the charity, which raised £138million in the immediate aftermath
of her death, closed as an operational entity.
William and
Harry had to step in to save the fund.
Diana’s
final resting place at Althorp, Northants, was the focus of a row in 2014 when
her brother Earl Spencer was accused of allowing her memorial stone to become
overgrown.
In 2015, a
statue of Diana caused uproar after it was left neglected and turned green.
Andrew Walsh
sculpted the granite artwork in 2000 with the aim of displaying it his hometown
of Walsall, West Midlands.
But its
official unveiling was scrapped after the town’s mayor branded it bizarre and a
local MP said it “looked more like Diana Ross”.
It was later
placed at the local bus station and Buckingham Palace refused permission for
Diana’s name to be used on its plaque.The Flame of Liberty sculpture at the
Pont de L’Alma in Paris, near where Diana died, became the unofficial memorial
after her funeral.
But the replica
gold torch now bears many scratches – and the wall behind, once covered in
tributes, has been daubed with graffiti.
In London,
the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain, Hyde Park, was opened by the
Queen in 2004.
The stream
was designed to reflect Princess Diana’s love of children and intended to allow
paddling, but several people were injured after slipping over.
Alterations
were also carried out to prevent surrounding grass from becoming “a bedraggled
and unsightly mess”.
Speaking
about his mother last year, Harry said: “We will do everything we can to make
sure she’s never forgotten.”
Source: UK
Mirror
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