PAYING TRIBUTE TO THEIR MUCH-MISSED MOTHER THE BROTHERS REUNITE AT KENSINGTON PALACE TO UNVEIL A STATUE IN HER HONOUR

The Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex reflect in Kensington Palace’s Sunken Garden after the unveiling of the statue of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales, reminiscent of a 1993 Christmas card of the three together (inset top right)

‘Every day, we wish she were still with us and our hope is this statue will be seen forever as a symbol of her life and legacy’

PHOTO: © DERRY MOORE

They had long wished for a permanent memorial to their beloved mother Diana, Princess of Wales. So for the Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex, it was no doubt a bittersweet moment as they finally stood together before her statue in a space she had loved so much.

In a poignant joint statement issued to mark the occasion, they said: “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.

“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.”

More than four years in the making, the sculpture was unveiled on a warm summer afternoon in the tranquil surroundings of Kensington Palace’s Sunken Garden, one of the Princess’s favourite places.

POIGNANT POSE

Cast in bronze with a blue-green patina over black, the figure shows Diana alongside three young children, one of them, a girl, holding the Princess’s hand to her cheek. A spray of lilies lies behind them.

While it is not based on any particular moment from her life, the pose is reminiscent of Diana’s encounters with children during visits to countries such as Bosnia and Angola, where she campaigned to end the scourge of landmines in the months before her death.