TORONTO -- Prince William and Prince Harry have issued a new statement about plans for a statue to commemorate their mother, Princess Diana, breaking a lengthy public silence from the brothers since Harry moved to California with his wife Meghan Markle.
In an announcement issued three days before the 23rd anniversary of Diana’s death, Harry and William revealed that a statue of their mother will be installed in the garden of Kensington Palace next year on what would’ve been her 60th birthday.
“The Princes hope that the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on their mother’s life and her legacy,” the Palace said in a statement on behalf of the offices of Prince William and Prince Harry.
The brothers have not spoken publicly together since Harry and Meghan moved to Santa Barbara, Calif. earlier this year following a stint on Vancouver Island.
The joint statement comes just a few weeks after a new book by royal reporters Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand claimed that Harry was infuriated when William suggested he "take as much time as you need to get to know this girl,” referring to Meghan in the early days of their relationship.
The book, “Finding Freedom,” claims William didn't want Harry to be "blindsided by lust” and that Harry resented the “tone of snobbishness” from his brother when Meghan was referred to as “this girl.”
Harry and Meghan left their roles as senior members of the Royal Family earlier this year to move to the U.S., where they planned to start their own careers and plant roots with their son, Archie.
The couple offered a brief peek of their new home earlier this month in a video call with members of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, where they discussed ways in which to use social media to make positive change.
The statue of Princess Diana was commissioned back in 2017 to mark 20 years since she was killed in a car crash in Paris. She was 36, and William and Harry were 15 and 12 at the time.
The statue’s design has not yet been revealed, but the statue’s creator, Ian Rank-Broadley, was responsible for an image of Queen Elizabeth that appears on British coins.
The palace says the project remains on track, but that the installation has been delayed due to COVID-19. The statue is set to be installed on July 1, 2021.
