Prince William will take his children to visit the statue of Princess Diana before it is revealed to the world.
The Duke of Cambridge and his brother Prince Harry will officially unveil the monument at Kensington Palace’s Sunken Garden on what would have been their mother’s 60th birthday on Thursday (01.07.21) but before then, he’s keen to share a “quiet moment of reflection” at the site.
According to the Daily Telegraph newspaper, William and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, will take Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, six, and three-year-old Prince Louis to view the statue in its final position over the next few days.
And in addition, Harry – who flew back to the UK from the US without wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex or their children Archie, two, and Lili, three weeks, last week – is also planning a private visit to the site once his quarantine period is over, but it won’t be at the same time as his brother.
The statue is believed to have arrived at Kensington Palace over the weekend and though it is currently on its plinth overlooking the garden, it is hidden from view by a large wooden container.
The monument – which has been made by sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley – was commissioned a few years ago to mark the 20th anniversary of the Princess’ death in a Paris car crash in 1997 and to recognise the positive impact she had on the world.
Plans for the unveiling have been dramatically scaled back due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the ceremony will now likely just be attended by William and Harry and members of Diana’s family, including her brother, Earl Charles Spencer, rather than the 100 guests that were initially due to be there.
And the media presence for the event has been limited to just one pool reporter and broadcaster.