Who will attend Princess Diana's statue unveiling? Princes William and Harry cut down guest list
There is much anticipation around the unveiling of Princess Diana's life-size statue at the Kensington Palace - an occasion that is speculated to mend the rift between Princes William and Harry to some extent. However, according to the latest update about the situation, there is little hope that the brothers will completely let go of their animosity to come together and celebrate their late mother on her birthday.
The statue is scheduled to be unveiled on July 1, 2021 - the day that would have been the Princess of Wales' 60th birth anniversary. Initially, an elaborate ceremony was planned with over a hundred people as invitees. The long guest list included Princess Diana's friends, former palace staff, and avid supporters who have been there for her through thick and thin. But, as it appears, COVID-19 restrictions have compelled the royal brothers to rethink and curtail the guest list to the minimum.
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Originally meant to be unveiled in 2017, Diana's statue has been embroiled in one controversy after another, according to Daily Mail. Harry and Meghan's 2018 wedding, followed by Megxit in 2020 also resulted in the postponement. Ultimately, the date was moved to July 2021 as the world is still grappling with the Covid-19 pandemic.
There was also considerable delay as the royal family members could not settle upon the design and which period in Diana's life the statue would represent. At one point, her family felt that no sculptor could capture the aura of Princess Diana properly. Eventually, it was artist Ian Rank-Broadley who was entrusted with creating the life-size statue of the 'People's Princess'. He is famous as the man behind the portrait of the Queen that appears on British coins.
The initial guest list at the statue unveiling comprised Diana's close friends like Elton John and David Furnish. They were also among the top private donors for the statue. It was assumed that the presence of so many people closely attached to Diana might help the warring princes reconcile and help them bury their differences. Now, the large ceremony has been scrapped and replaced with a small, intimate affair to be attended only by Prince William, Prince Harry, and some relatives of the Spencer family.
The larger ceremony, however, has been postponed to September which would hopefully include more members of the royal family and the original guest list.