British Royal Family

Princes William, Harry Unveil Princess Diana's Statue

Diana’s family joined the two brothers for the ceremony at the palace's Sunken Garden, a place in which the princess once found solace

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Princes William and Harry unveiled a statue of their mother, Princess Diana, on what would have been her 60th birthday Thursday in a small — and brief — ceremony at London's Kensington Palace.

Diana’s family joined the two brothers for the ceremony at the palace's Sunken Garden, a place in which the princess once found solace. It was the first time the brothers have appeared in public together since the funeral of their grandfather, Prince Philip.

The brothers later issued a joint statement in which they described their mother's strength and character as “qualities that made her a force for good around the world."

“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," they said.

The statue's sculptor, Ian Rank-Broadley, and garden designer Pip Morrison were also on hand for the ceremony.

The statue is cast in bronze and captured Diana in casual dress with three children standing at her sides and her arms extended around two of them. It is raised on a plinth engraved with Diana’s name and a paver stone featuring a line from “The Measure of a Man” poem, which was also in the program for her 2007 memorial service.

The Associated Press/NBC
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