Princes plan new statue of Diana
Top sculptor Ian RankBroadley has been commissioned by Princes William and Harry to create a statue of their mother, Diana.
The sculpture, to be installed in the gardens at Kensington Palace, is the first to commemorate the people’s princess 20 years after her death.
The Duke of Cambridge, 35, and Prince Harry, 33, announcing the decision yesterday, said: “We’ve been touched by the kind words and memories so many people have shared about our mother over these past few months.
“It’s clear the significance of her work is still felt by many in the UK and across the world, even 20 years after her death.
“Ian is an extremely gifted sculptor and we know that he will create a fitting and last ing tribute to our mother. “
Rank-Broadley, 65, one of the wor l d ’ s l ead ing sculptors, is best known for his effigy of the Queen that has appeared on all British coins since 1998.
He said: “It’s my sole and highest intention to fulfill the expectations of their royal highnesses in creating a lasting and fitting memorial to their late mother.”
The princes plan to fund the statue partly themselves.
The statue is expected to be unveiled in 2019.
Diana, 36, brought up the young princes in Kensington Palace, which became a temporary shrine when she and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed died in a car crash in Paris in 1997.