The Kensington Palace reunion was the first time they had seen each other in person since Prince Philip’s funeral in April and came against the backdrop of a bitter rift.
The pair spoke outside St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle on the day Queen Elizabeth II buried her husband of 73 years but since then there have been more bombshell revelations from both sides.
The Duke of Sussex told his mental health docuseries The Me You Can’t See how his family responded with “total neglect” when he asked for help dealing with the media.
And a friend of Prince William told royal historian Robert Lacey how the Duke of Cambridge “threw Harry out” of Kensington Palace early in 2019.
Today, though, was about their mother who died in a Paris car crash on August 31, 1997, when William was 15 and Harry was 12.
Royal watchers gathered outside the gates of Kensington Palace where the statue was unveiled in The Sunken Garden in the afternoon.
Photos of the princess covered the same cast iron gates where 24 years ago a sea of flowers were left in tribute to the iconic princess after her death.
The live updates for this event have concluded.
The joint act was part of a broader show of unity between the princes, who also released a joint statement.
They 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.”
The brothers appeared in video footage to share a joke between each other as the pulled a green sheet off the memorial.
William and Harry each took a string in order to pull the cover free and reveal the monument beneath.
The brothers greeted their uncle Charles Spencer and aunts Jane Felowes and Sarah McCorquodale, kissing the two women on the cheek.
They worked their way around the outside of a pond in the centre of the garden, speaking to those gathered.
Pictures of the commemoration of Princess Diana’s 60th birthday are expected shortly.
“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.”
A plinth beneath the statue is engraved with her name and today’s date while a paving stone in front holds an extract from the poem The Measure of A Man.
It reads: “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 royal brothers were partly inspired by the success of another event paying tribute to their mother: 2007’s Concert for Diana, held in London on what would have been her 46th birthday.
Elton John, Kanye West, P. Diddy and Pharrell all performed at the show, at the request of the brothers. But the pair wanted something more permanent.
Speaking to Hello! magazine in 2016, Harry said: “We want to make sure that there’s something that she’s remembered by and there’s certainly not enough on the right scale in London or anywhere in the U.K., that she’s remembered for.
“And I think myself, William and a few other people, we all agree on that. Something needs to be put in stone or in place as a memory.
“Lots of people still talk about her. Every single day we still think about her, so it would be very fitting…to have something that is going to last forever and is a proper recognition of what she did when she was alive.”
The brothers 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.”
Alongside them is Princess Diana’s brother Charles Spencer as well as her sisters Sarah McCorquodale and Jane Fellowes.
Ian Rank-Broadley, who designed the statue to the Princess of Wales, is also there along with Pip Morrison, who redesigned The Sunken Garden with 4,000 new flowers in honor of Diana.
Crowds have gathered outside despite the coronavirus pandemic, eager to see any glimpse of a moment in royal history.
Prince William and Prince Harry will unveil the statue to Princess Diana at The Sunken Garden shortly.
The Battle of Brothers author said: “Maybe there’ll be some clicking of the fingers and waving of the wand on Thursday.
“I don’t see how they can do proper honor to their mother’s memory without, not a total reconciliation, but a meaningful gesture of homage to her and to each other.
“Otherwise what’s the world going to say? If they come out and make two wooden speeches and then go their separate ways what meaning will that ceremony have and what conclusion will the world draw?”
Lacey’s biography laid bare the extent of the rift between the brothers when he described Prince William’s anger at being told Meghan Markle had been bullying Kensington Palace staff.
Lacey wrote: “William, for his part, felt just as strongly about Meghan and the need for her subversive ‘agenda’ to be removed from the operations of the British monarchy, which she did not appear to understand or respect.
“He certainly wanted Meghan removed, for a start, from the hitherto harmonious joint household that he and his brother had operated together for the best part of a decade. William simply did not want her or Harry around any more.”
The explosive revelations are just one of the numerous issues the brothers may want to discuss if they do have private talks today.
Prince Philip’s funeral was at Windsor Castle in April and at the time he stayed nearby at his U.K. home Frogmore Cottage, also in Windsor.
Beyond that it is not clear when he last stepped foot in the London royal residence where Meghan Markle told him she was experiencing suicidal thoughts.
Kensington Palace is also the place where their staff accused Meghan of bullying them and where the rift between the brothers grew deeper.
Historian Robert Lacey quotes a friend of Prince William saying the Duke of Cambridge “threw Harry out” when the household was divided in March 2019.
Harry’s last official public engagement at Kensington Palace was a reception for the Endeavour Fund in October 2019, according to royal diary the Court Circular.
That was before the Harry and Meghan moved to Canada in around November 2019, ahead of the announcement they would quit royal duties in January 2020.
They moved to America in April 2020 even as the coronavirus pandemic brought lockdown to countries around the world.
Earl Spencer is expected at the Princess Diana statue unveiling at The Sunken Garden of Kensington Palace today.
Prince Harry said: “Later this week, my brother and I are recognizing what would have been our mom’s 60th birthday, and she would be so proud of you all for living an authentic life with purpose and with compassion for others.
“Our mom believed that young people have the power to change the world. She believed in your strength because she saw it day in and day out, and in the faces of young people exactly like you, she witnessed a boundless enthusiasm and passion.”
He closed the speech by saying: “Stand up for what you believe in and trust that when you live by truth and in service to others, people will see that, just as they did with my mom.”
Harry left his British home, Frogmore Cottage, to head to the 2021 WellChild Awards, his first in-person charity job in the country of his birth since he quit royal duties in March 2020.
He spoke to winners at the event in Kew Gardens, West London, and told singer Ed Sheeran having two children is a “juggle.”
The duke left daughter Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, born on June 4, at home in California with Meghan Markle and their son Archie, two, in order to make today’s event.
Known as Lili, her first name is a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II while her middle name is nod to Princess Diana.
Among the flower beds that surround a central pond are 100 of her favorites, forget-me-nots.
Pip Morrison, who designed the new layout, said: “This has been a very special project to work on, as the Sunken Garden was a favourite place of Diana, Princess of Wales.
“We have worked carefully to ensure that the new layout and planting scheme compliments the statue, providing a calming place for people who visit Kensington Palace to remember The Princess.”
Graham Dillamore, deputy head of gardens and estates at Historic Royal Palaces, said: “While she was in residence at Kensington Palace, Diana, Princess of Wales regularly admired the changing floral displays in the Sunken Garden and would always stop to talk with me and the other gardeners who cared for it.
“Over three decades later, I’m honoured to have been part of the team preparing the garden for the installation of this statue.
“We’ve incorporated a number of the Princess’s favourite flowers into the design, and I hope that visitors to the palace and gardens will enjoy its peaceful setting, and take a moment to reflect on the life and legacy of the Princess.”
The statue was already in position yesterday but still boxed up ahead of the unveiling.
