About 20 years after Princess Diana's horrifying death, her sons, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry have commissioned a statue in the memory of their mother. The statue will be erected at their official home, Kensington Palace.
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Diana, who was the first wife of Prince Charles, died when a limousine carrying her and her lover Dodi al-Fayed crashed in a Paris tunnel in August 1997. At the time, William and Harry were 15 and 12 respectively.
"It has been 20 years since our mother's death and the time is right to recognise her positive impact in the UK and around the world with a permanent statue," Prince William and Prince Harry said in a statement posted on Twitter.
"Our mother touched so many lives. We hope the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on her life and legacy," the statement reads. The press release also reveals that the sculpting of the statue will soon begin. However, they cannot provide the expected date of completion or unveiling date. But the Kensington Palace hopes that the statue is complete before the end of 2017.
The BBC reports that the statue will be the fourth London-based monument dedicated to Princess Diana. It will be situated in the memorial garden close to the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park and Kensington Palace. It is also reported that an artist will be chosen by a six people committee, which would include Diana's sister Lady Sarah McCorquodale.
This year marks the 20th death anniversary of Princess Diana. The death anniversary will be commemorated by Earl Spencer, her brother, with a host of exhibitions at the family's home in Althorp.
