Prince Harry and William stood shoulder to shoulder as they appeared in public together for the first time since April to unveil a statue in honour of their mum Princess Diana.
The Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex’s troubled relationship is well documented, but their mother was their main focus as they reunited on what would have been her 60th birthday.
The royal brothers made no speeches during the ceremony, but later said in a joint statement: “Today, on what would have been our Mother’s 60th birthday, we remember her love, strength and character – qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better.
“Every day, we wish she were still with us, and our hope is that this statue will be seen forever as a symbol of her life and her legacy.”
The figure of the princess in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace is surrounded by three children and depicts Diana in the later years of her life.
Kensington Palace said it aims to reflect Diana’s “warmth, elegance and energy”, while the children represent the “universality and generational impact of the princess’s work”.
In front of the statue is a paving stone engraved with an extract inspired by the poem The Measure Of A Man: “These are the units to measure the worth of this woman as a woman regardless of birth. Not ‘What was her station?’ but ‘Had she a heart? How did she play her God-given part?”‘
It was commissioned by William and Harry in 2017 – the 20th anniversary year of Diana’s tragic death alongside her boyfriend Dodi Fayed during a trip to Paris.
Prince Harry and William last saw each other in April, at the funeral of their grandad Prince Philip.
Following the birth of their daughter Lilibet, Harry’s wife Meghan Markle remained in California to look after the newborn and two-year-old Archie.
