William and Harry put aside their differences and jointly unveil a statue of Diana

Princes Harry and William together unveiled a statue in honor of their mother, Princess Diana, in Kensington Palace Gardens on Thursday, putting their differences aside after months of cold relations between them.

Under the watchful eyes of Diana’s brother and two sisters, William and Harry removed the fabric that covered the memorial near the palace where the princess lived and where William now lives.

Princes William and Harry at the unveiling of the statue of Princess Diana

The bronze statue represents the princess with short hair, surrounded by three children, and she puts her hands on the shoulders of two of them.

“We want her to be with us every day, and we hope this statue will be forever seen as a symbol of her life and legacy,” the two brothers said in a statement after the dedication ceremony, arrival side by side smiling and smiling. relieved.

Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales, died in a traffic accident in Paris in 1997 at the age of 36, and would have turned 60 on Thursday. The statue, created by Jan Rank Brodley, was inspired by the last years of the princess’s life.

Princess Diana Statue

The sculptor explained that he, William and Harry wanted the statue to reflect (Diana’s) warmth and humanity, “and to express” the impact it has had across the generations.

Attendance at the statue’s unveiling, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was limited to 30 people, including members of Diana’s family, Earl Charles Spencer, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes.

Prince Charles missed the opportunity, which came a few weeks before July 29, the 40th anniversary of their marriage, which lasted until 1996, according to the “Sunday Times” newspaper, citing a person close to him, in the aim to “not heal old wounds.”

Princes William and Harry at the unveiling of the statue of Princess Diana

Twenty-four years after her death, Princess Diana continues to garner a lot of interest, as her old car sold for around $ 73,000 at a South American museum this week. She is still a fashion icon, as her dresses are the subject of exhibitions in Britain, a phenomenon that “The Crown” series helped establish through “Netflix”.

“The battle of the two brothers”

But in addition to honoring the late princess, the main bet of this ceremony was whether the reunion of the two brothers could calm the crisis triggered by Harry’s shattering exit from the royal family and the great consequences of the interview that he and his wife Megan Markle performed with famous American media outlet Oprah Winfrey and her American TV presentation last March.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sparked tension within the Royal Family during the interview, including raising racist questions from an anonymous family member about their son Archie’s skin color.

From Harry and Meghan’s controversial interview with Oprah

Prince William, 39, commented on the matter shortly after the interview aired, in an official ceremony, saying the royals were “not racist at all.”

For his part, Harry, 36, has called his older brother a “prisoner” of the royal family, unless, of course, he likes William, the candidate for the British throne.

The two brothers have since met briefly at the funeral of Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, last April, with no apparent sign of easing the tension between them.

And a specialist in royal family affairs, Robert Lacey, confirmed in a recent book titled “The Battle of the Two Brothers” that “William did not speak to Harry during the ceremony at Windsor Palace after the funeral, for fear of leaking the content of the conversation directly from Megan via Oprah Winfrey or via the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s network. “.

Since then, Prince Harry only returned to Britain last week from California, where he lives with his wife and two children, and appeared suddenly on Wednesday at a charity event to support sick children.

And the “Daily Mail” newspaper, citing a royal source, reports that his return to British soil was an opportunity for the two brothers to discuss this week England’s victory over Germany in the French Cup. ‘Europe of football, which gives hope to break the ice in their relationship.