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The royal you might not see at Princess Diana’s statue unveiling

Prince William and Prince Harry will come together next month for the unveiling of a statue of their mother Princess Diana on what would have been her 60th birthday.

The memorial is one of the only things the brothers have worked on together in some time after commissioning the statue in 2017.

Princess Diana with Prince William and Prince Harry
While it's still uncertain as to whether Prince Harry will attend Princess Diana's statue unveiling, another royal is looking unlikely to attend. Photo: Getty

Who will attend the unveiling?

Prince William and Harry are both expected to be in attendance and it's also highly likely the Duchess of Cambridge will be there - she also joined the brothers when they visited the garden in 2017 to see tributes to Diana.

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However, it's believed Prince Charles is unlikely to be in attendance as he and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, have not attended events related to Diana since they married in 2005.

In 2007, on the tenth anniversary of Diana's death, Camilla announced she would not attend the memorial following criticism that her presence would be inappropriate as Charles and Camilla had an affair while he was still married to Diana.

Prince Charles with Prince Harry and William in 2007
It's believed Prince Charles (pictured at the 10th anniversary of Diana's passing in 2007) is unlikely to be in attendance as he and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, have not attended events related to Diana in recent years. Photo: Getty

"I’m very touched to have been invited by Prince William and Prince Harry to attend the thanksgiving service for their mother Diana, Princess of Wales," the duchess said in a statement. "I accepted and wanted to support them. However, on reflection I believe my attendance could divert attention from the purpose of the occasion which is to focus on the life and service of Diana. I’m grateful to my husband, William and Harry for supporting my decision."

Buckingham Palace also confirmed the Queen supported the decision.

Meghan Markle is also unlikely to attend as she recently gave birth to Lilibet, her and Harry's second child.

At this stage it's unsure if the Queen will attend as she is not currently based in London, choosing to remain at Windsor Castle for the time being.

She did open a memorial fountain for Diana in Hyde Park in 2004.

Where will it be?

Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince Harry
Prince William, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry visit The Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace in August, 2017. Photo: Getty

The statue will be unveiled in the Sunken Garden in Kensington Palace, where Diana lived both during and after her marriage to Prince Charles.

The Kensington Palace website says, "In 2017 the garden was completely re-planted in white flowers for visitors to reflect and celebrate the life of Princess Diana. It took inspiration from Princess Diana’s dresses along with the famous Mario Testino photographs of the Princess."

The garden is currently closed but is usually open, meaning visitors will be able to see the statue.

Who has made the statue?

Ian Rank-Broadley
Renowned artist Ian Rank-Broadley was commissioned to create the statue, he is also the man behind the portrait of the Queen that appears on UK coins. Photo: Getty

Renowned artist Ian Rank-Broadley was commissioned to create the statue, he is also the man behind the portrait of the Queen that appears on UK coins.

Ian was commissioned by the brothers on the 20th anniversary of Diana's death, but the project was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to Kensington Palace.

When the project was announced, William and Harry released a statement that said: "Our mother touched so many lives. We hope the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on her life and her legacy."

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