Princess Diana statue to be open to the public on the 24th anniversary of her death
On 1 July earlier this year (2021), Prince William and Prince Harry came together to unveil a statue of their mother, the late Princess Diana, to honour her memory and legacy on what would have been her 60th birthday.
The ceremony took place in Kensington Palace's Sunken Garden and was the first time the brothers had been pictured in public together since they attended Prince Philip's funeral back in April.
The statue, which was created by sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley, had been in the works for over four years, and – naturally – there's been much public interest in it as we approach the 24th anniversary of Princess Diana's death.
The Princess was killed in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997.
Due to the pandemic, Kensington Palace and its gardens are usually only accessible to the public from Wednesday to Sunday. However, the Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) have announced that visitors will be able to view the statue from 3pm to 5pm on Tuesday 31 August 2021.
A spokesperson for HRP said (via The Telegraph), "We acknowledge that there will be interest in viewing the statue on that day.
"So we will be providing access to the Cradle Walk which is essentially the beautiful walkway around the Sunken Garden.
"We will be opening that up, freely available, for passers-by or anybody who wants to stop and take a moment on that Tuesday, specially for the anniversary."
The bronze statue, by sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley, was commissioned by Prince William and Prince Harry in 2017, and aims to recognise the Princess’s positive impact in the UK and around the world, and reflect her warmth, elegance and energy. (2/5) pic.twitter.com/1qgwFoR8vH
— Historic Royal Palaces (@HRP_palaces) July 1, 2021
Those who wish to visit the statue on Tuesday will be able to view it from the Cradle Walk, and will not have to book or pay to see it. However, HRP have said that those paying their respects will not be able to leave flowers, or stand at the base of the statue.
The statue currently stands in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, surrounded by some of the Princess's favourite flowers, including 100 Forget-me-nots, 200 roses, 300 tulips, and over 500 lavender plants.
Our thoughts are with the Royal Family at this time.
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