There is some uncertainty surrounding the statue of Princess Diana, which was unveiled at Kensington Palace on Thursday, July 1, because she would have turned 60 by then. Because who are the children by her side? Not Princes Harry and William, that’s for sure. And where have we seen that sculpted outfit before?
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According to royal fans, the look of the princess, who died in a car accident in Paris in 1997, is a nod to the ensemble she wore for the Christmas card in 1993. She then combined a similar pencil skirt and a blouse. Remarkably, that Christmas card was the very first featuring Diana and her two sons, without Prince Charles. Only her haircut differs from the cut in the famous photo.
Whether that one photo really was the source of inspiration for artist Ian Rank-Broadley is not known. The official statement from Kensington Palace reads that the outfit “represents the later stages of Diana’s life, during which she gained confidence in her role as an ambassador for various humanitarian causes”. Lady Di often wore a pencil skirt with a striking belt and a white blouse. In 1998, during a holiday in Mallorca, she combined a red pencil skirt with a white blouse, in 1992 she did the same in Cairo, Egypt, but then opted for a yellow skirt and white blouse.
– Photo: ISOPIX
The three children – two boys and a girl – also focus on Diana’s lifestyle. They were placed there to represent the universality and impact of her work. Critical fans of the royal family, however, are confused. “At first I thought the artist had put on Prince Harry a skirt,” said one of the comments on social media.
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