Prince Harry and Prince William reunite to unveil Diana statue

Princes William and Harry have reunited to unveil a statue of their late mother, Princess Diana, outside Kensington Palace.

It was an emotional day for the royal brothers, who stood shoulder-to-shoulder despite their royal 'rift' playing out over the past few years.

Harry and Wills, who haven't been pictured together since Prince Philip's funeral, came together on what would have been Princess Diana's 60th birthday.

They were joined by Princess Diana's siblings, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, Lady Jane Fellowes and Charles, the 9th Earl Spencer, at the small ceremony.

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Prince Harry was pictured grinning and looking relaxed, while Prince William spent more time inspecting the statue of his mother.

During the small, private ceremony, the statue was unveiled, including words on a paving stone underneath it which read: "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?"

The verse is an extract after the poem The Measure of A Man, which featured in the 2007 memorial service for the princess. It has been adapted to read about a woman instead of a man.

In a rare joint statement Prince William and Prince Harry said: "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.

"Thank you to Ian Rank-Broadley, Pip Morrison and their teams for their outstanding work, to the friends and donors who helped make this happen, and to all those around the world who keep our mother’s memory alive."

William and Harry were greeted as they arrived at the garden by Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton who was the chairman of the small statue committee and could be heard laughing with him, setting a relaxed tone for the event.

Lowther-Pinkerton was the brothers' right hand man for many years.

The brothers greeted their family members and members of the committee who attended the event, with Harry kissing his aunt Lady Sarah on both cheeks and greeted his other aunt Lady Jane and his uncle, the Earl Spencer warmly.

Harry and William took a side of the cover each, and William said "ready" before they pulled it down and the guests applauded.

In a comment after the event the sculptor, Rank-Broadley said: "Diana, Princess of Wales was an icon who touched the lives of people right around the world, so it has been a privilege to work alongside Prince William and Prince Harry on this statue which commemorates her life.

"We wanted to capture her warmth and humanity while showcasing the impact she had across generations. I hope that people will enjoy visiting the statue and the Sunken Garden, and taking a moment to remember the princess."

Explaining the statue, Kensington Palace said: "The statue aims to reflect the warmth, elegance and energy of Diana, Princess of Wales, in addition to her work and the impact she had on so many people.

"The figure of Diana, Princess of Wales is surrounded by three children who represent the universality and generational impact of the princess’ work. The portrait and style of dress was based on the final period of her life as she gained confidence in her role as an ambassador for humanitarian causes and aims to convey her character and compassion."

The statue will be a permanent part of the garden, which was one of Diana's favourite spots. She lived in Kensington Palace throughout her marriage to Charles and after their separation.

Prince Harry's relationship with his family has been fraught for months now, with the royal telling Oprah he needed 'space' from his big brother.

However, Prince Harry rushed home to the UK from California when his grandfather died, and many royal sources were hoping the family would reunite in grief.

The Sussexes made a series of claims against the royal family in their now famous interview with Oprah Winfrey.

They claimed a member of the royal family made racist remarks about the colour of their then unborn son's skin tone.

Meghan also detailed a disagreement she had with Kate Middleton, where she revealed there had been a tiff over bridesmaids dresses before her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry.

When asked about his relationship with his brother Prince William, Prince Harry said "I love him to bits".

"He's my brother, we've been through hell together," he said.

"And we have a shared experience. But we, you know, we have different paths."

Reports in recent months have suggested William was furious when he heard allegations of bullying by Meghan of palace staff. She has denied the allegations, which were made public ahead of the interview she and Harry did with Oprah Winfrey.

But ahead of the unveiling, biographer Omid Scobie said the rift was not as bad as some reports suggested.

He told Good Morning America: "The relationship between Harry and William is still extremely complicated.

"From what I understand from sources it is just a case of distance. They're simply not talking at the moment and while there has been small communication leading up to this point through their relevant teams, this is really going to be the first time where they have a proper opportunity to chat to each other."

Rhiannon Mills, Sky's royal correspondent said the smaller ceremony was something the brothers wanted because of the strain in their relationship.

She said: "They all know all eyes are going to be on them.

"Harry is very well schooled when it comes to putting on appearances. Both brothers are wary of the press and will not want to stoke any stories about them falling out."

Additional reporting by Rebecca C. Taylor

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