The Real Reason Prince William & Prince Harry Decided To Have A Statue Of Princess Diana Made

Prince William and Prince Harry joined forces back in 2017 in honor of the 20th anniversary of their mother's tragic death. At the time, the brothers wanted to do something special for Princess Diana, so they commissioned a statue to be sculpted in her honor, according to BBC News. The sculpture is set to be erected in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace. The statue was expected to be completed long before 2021, but the coronavirus pandemic put a wrench in the plans that William and Harry previously made. However, a new date was selected for the unveiling; July 1, 2021, which would have been Diana's 60th birthday.

Although William and Harry have honored their mother various ways over the years, this is really the first time that they've come together to do something of this magnitude — to remember her in such a way and to share her memory with the public; according to the Independent, the statue will be "will be free for the public to view during the palace's opening hours." And while the statue is sure to be admired by royal watchers and travelers from all over the world in the coming years, there is a reason why William and Harry decided to have it created. Keep reading to find out what that reason is.

Prince William and Prince Harry chose to have a statue of Princess Diana made because they "have wanted to do something for Diana for such a long time," royal expert Nick Bullen told Fox News. "There have been various attempts. The Diana Memorial fountain was something that didn't really capture the essence of Diana, many believed. But this statue I'm told is an amazing piece of work and a fitting tribute," Bullen told the outlet. 

"It's strange, isn't it? Here we are, nearly 24 years after her death. And there has been no real permanent memorial to one of the most famous women in the world. I think it's about time. I believe this is absolutely fitting. But it took time. There were lots of concerns about how to capture her image in stone because she was so beautiful. And there were lots of conversations about the memorial and how it would capture the essence," Bullen told Fox News. He went on to say that both William and Harry were "very hands on" when it came to planning the statue of their mother. 

July 1 will undoubtedly be a very special day for William and Harry, as they have cemented their mother's memory in one of her favorite places to spend time, according to People.