Brought back together by mum
ROYAL BROTHERS’ RIFT: NEW HOPE William & Harry reunite to reveal when Diana statue is to be unveiled
PRINCES William and Harry have reunited to finalise details for a statue celebrating the life of their mum Princess Diana.
The move could rebuild the pair’s relationship, which has broken down over recent years.
A royal insider said: “Everyone hopes this will help to heal old wounds.”
WITH Princes William and Harry embroiled in a rift that would have left their mother heartbroken, it is fitting she is the one who could now bring them together again.
The pair have reunited to finish a statue of Princess Diana that will be unveiled at her former Kensington Palace home on July 1 next year – what would have been her 60th birthday.
It is hoped the move will help the brothers heal their fractured relationship, which led to Harry and his wife Meghan quitting their royal roles in favour of a new life in America.
They united to finalise the details after years of wrangling over the statue they commissioned to mark the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death in 2017.
A royal insider said: “Everyone hopes that this could be the start of something new in their relationship which will help to heal old wounds.”
William, 38, and Harry, 35, were tasked with recognising Diana’s “positive impact in the UK and around the world”.
The princes said: “We hope that the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on our mother’s life and her legacy.”
It is understood the brothers have been in touch in recent weeks to discuss options to drive the project forward in time for an unveiling ceremony.
Royal sources have said they expect the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will all attend the celebration. It could be the first time they see each other face to face with Harry and Meghan likely to spend Christmas in California after moving to an £11million home in Montecito.
Senior royals including the Queen and Prince Charles have implored the two men to once again find the common ground and friendship their mother worked so hard to foster.
Supported by Diana’s deep love and equal affection for them both, they grew up inseparable, but in recent months they admitted their struggle to maintain the closeness they once had.
The publication of a tell-all biography, billed as “the truth” behind Harry and Meghan’s departure which they were heavily rumoured to have co-operated with, has also done little to dampen tensions between the two sides.
It claimed “Harry had grown frustrated that he and Meghan often took a back seat to other family members” and added they were aggrieved that they had to wait in line behind William or Prince Charles when they planned a tour or new initiative. Sources close to Meghan, 39, also suggested she felt abandoned by Kate, 38, when she joined the family and pregnant with her first child, Archie.
Her lawyers made the astonishing claim the American felt “unprotected” by the institution during her two years in Britain before they stepped back from their roles in January.
The well-placed insider said: “William was enraged how they blindsided the Queen and went public with their plan, despite multiple offers of help for them to set a path for their independence.”
In a telling interview with a documentary crew on their tour of
Southern Africa last
October, Harry
laid bare the strain on the brothers’ relationship, confessing they were “on different paths”. William reportedly told a friend as
Harry and
Meghan dropped their bombshell news in January that they were leaving their royal roles: “I’ve put my arm around my brother all our lives. I can’t do it any more.”
Plans for the statue have been beset with delays owing to “differences of opinion” over the design as well as the coronavirus crisis, it is understood.
A palace source said: “The project is so personal to them, they have both wanted to get it right. They are now very happy with the way things are progressing with the design which is pretty much finalised ready for installation next year.”
William was 15 and Harry just 12 when Diana died in a 1997 car crash in Paris. When they first unveiled the statue projects they said: “Our mother touched so many lives.”
The princes chose sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley for the project. He created a 17-inch statue of Irek Mukhamedo and produced the image of the Queen used on Britain’s coins.
Everyone hopes this could be the start of something that helps heal old wounds
ROYAL INSIDER ON BROTHERS REUNITING FOR DIANA STATUE