Diana, Princess of Wales: Statue Unveiling - July 1st 2021

[Kaye1850]

I would hope the royal family is not trying to make the same mistakes as political leaders; stating 'well, I didn't adhere to the Covid-regulations because the politicians don't do it either' don't seem to be a good enough reason for me.

And testing surely helps but is not fool proof; you can still be contagious if you tested negative as symptoms take a few days to develop. However, my question was related to them potentially ignoring government regulations (and doing so in the public eye). Hopefully, someone can fill us in on the current UK regulations.

Something else that really stands out is the 'balding' of both sons especially on the picture that is probably most used around the world of both of them looking at the statue. Their uncle Charles isn't bald at all, is it coming from their maternal grandfather? Because while Charles doesn't have that much hair anymore, it isn't as pronounced as with his sons.

With all due respect, perhaps re-think focusing on a physical trait these men have no control over. Now if you want to critique their footwear …

 

[Claire]

I actually like it - and I like the inclusion of children. I just don't like the giant belt and buckle of the skirt. but compared to the others - it is by far the best.

 

[_Heather_]

I would have loved to have seen a marble statue, but I don't believe that it would have held up outdoors with exposure to air pollution and weather.

I wondered about that and I don't know very much about different sorts of materials used for statues but then again, I'm relatively certain the statue of Queen Victoria outside of KP is made of marble and it seems to have held up just fine so maybe that would have worked?

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

I hope it states "Diana" somewhere because she is unrecognizeable.

 

[Alison H]

I'm not overly keen on the colour of the statue, but a lot of statues are that colour these days, and a nice marble one in what, despite being in a garden in a park, is a city centre, would soon get filthy.

 

[Heavs]

You are allowed to "cautiously" hug family and friends from the 17th of May, although the government would rather you didn't, so I guess their interaction with their aunts and uncle falls under that.

 

[Prinsara]

With all due respect, perhaps re-think focusing on a physical trait these men have no control over. Now if you want to critique their footwear …

With all due respect, that's an observation, not a criticism. They are both their uncle Edward's nephews and their paternal grandfather was known to be worried about losing his hair in his twenties, as well. I don't know about his hair but Johnnie Spencer ended up with bigger health issues.

What struck me was William's very neat head next to Harry's very scruffy-looking one, especially given Harry's blindingly white shirt. Bert and Ernie, almost.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Not my cup of tea, even though it's good craftsmanship, the statue doesn't really look like her and I don't get the idea of surrounding her with random children. Diana was no Mother Teresa, not even in the making.

 

[stephpaige]

I like it, and the poem as well. I *really* would have loved it if they'd have made the statue with her squatting down, with a smile on her face, reaching out toward some statue children across from her. Of course, I'm no artist!

 

[Erin9]

Not my cup of tea, even though it's good craftsmanship, the statue doesn't really look like her and I don't get the idea of surrounding her with random children. Diana was no Mother Teresa, not even in the making.

I rather liked the inclusion of children- though I do see your point. She wasn’t Mother Teresa.

I’m not crazy about the color and the big belt though.

But- if this pleases William and Harry, then that’s the main thing IMO.

 

[Lori138]

I like the statue, not an exact likeness but you can certainly see that it is Diana. And as someone else mentioned it is definitely her stance, captured very nicely. William and Harry looked like they loved the statue as well. Very nice ceremony.

 

[crm2317]

I think the likeness is just ok and I don’t mind the inclusion of the children. I think it’s the “body language” of Diana that makes me uncomfortable. She looks like she is posing at the end of a catwalk during fashion week with child models.

 

[Prinsara]

I rather liked the inclusion of children- though I do see your point. She wasn’t Mother Teresa.

Given some of the things that have been revealed about Mother Teresa since her own death, that's almost certainly a good thing.

It's possible to see the children as allegorical, given they're holding onto and hiding behind Diana as much as she's holding and shielding them. Diana had issues with feeling cared about and protected her whole life.

 

[Royalist.in.NC]

I don’t like that big belt either but I saw a photo of Diana with the boys looking up at her so maybe they liked this picture. The thing that bothers me the most is the third child who looks like they are hiding behind the girl - you can see the child from side views but not from the front.

 

[Sandy345]

Not my cup of tea, even though it's good craftsmanship, the statue doesn't really look like her and I don't get the idea of surrounding her with random children. Diana was no Mother Teresa, not even in the making.

Diana loved charities that involved children. I don't think Diana thought she was remotely a Mother Teresa.

 

[Purrs]

The statue was as I expected. It's very hard to capture the likeness of a living person as a static statue.

Like others, I don't care for the colour either but I supposed it was chosen for durability. Marble doesn't work well in polluted cities (has to be cleaned often) and can be damaged by acid rain. In Italy the few famous marble statues that are outside are under a roof or are copies. I've been there when they are being cleaned. (For example Michangelo's David statue is inside a museum, the one in front of the Florence City Hall is a copy. The copy is good but when you see the real statue, it looks like a warm living person. His marble statues look like the could breathe but I wouldn't expect that level of mastery.

I think William and Harry's decision to place it outside in the sunken garden she loved was very appropriate. Like another poster, I'd like to have seen her squatting down embracing children.

It was nice to see them with their Spencer relatives and they seemed pleased with the statue.

 

[Rayal]

The marble statues always look more aesthetic than bronze because the features are smoother and as time wears on they continue to smooth out, until after thousands of years they are almost unrecognizable. To do a female in bronze the sculptor is really at a disadvantage, as one the person is usually no longer alive, and two the material itself produces every little detail including wrinkles. Queen Victoria's sculpture was from 1893 and was sculpted by her fourth daughter Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll in marble, and others cast her in bronze. We studied it in art school and it is of the very finest in quality of resemblance and captures the power of the lady herself. The one in front of Kensington Palace was damaged during the bombings in WW II and was repaired and the nose was replaced in 1952 and again in 2012. She still looks outstanding though, and that was what I still would like to see of Diana, Princess of Wales.

 

[bertie5252003]

I think time will tell I was surprised that she was not a stand alone. Her sons must have felt the addition of children with her was important to them. I hate to say this but I thought as soon as I saw it .... a bit underwhelming.... but again as time goes by I may see it differently AND perhaps I will meet it face to face .... one day

 

[ACO]

Anyways I am glad it went well. This was lovely and I feel having the limited press helped a lot to let them relax. It was nice seeing the brothers talking and I hope that with time they can really reconnect.

 

[Rayal]

I forgot to mention the sculptor's wife, Hazel Rank-Broadley is well known artist for her paintings of Irises.



https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=251961eb44149898d97f0d38303a53ef&oe=60E24CBB

 

[valeas]

I don’t like the statue but wasn’t really expecting to. Statues of modern people often look a little silly to me - maybe they need a few generations to develop some gravitas.

The garden itself looks beautiful from what I could see, and it was a nice thought for the statue to be placed somewhere that Diana apparently loved. I hope William and Harry are happy with how it all turned out. At this point I think they may just be relieved the preparations and ceremony are finished. This is likely the last event that the brothers will participate in where the focus is on them as a pair; it was a nice way to hopefully mark the end of the “Diana’s boys” era, an ending which I think would have been overdue even if the brothers had continued to be close.

I agree very much especially with the last point.
Let's hope there won't be future arrangements for Diana's 70 th or whatever, it's one thing to mourn and remember somebody you loved,
but another to create a never ending legend while the world around you moves on and given the H&M trouble and Charles' situation they should now give Diana the peace to rest and others to grow and overcome it.

 

[Somebody]

With all due respect, perhaps re-think focusing on a physical trait these men have no control over. Now if you want to critique their footwear …

I didn't criticize them at all - nothing against bald men (my brother is one of the many who started balding early). I just observed a common trait both of them have and wondered about the genetic background.

I hope it states "Diana" somewhere because she is unrecognizeable.

It does. Below the statue it reads: Diana, Princess of Wales

 

[Erin9]

The statue does look beautiful in the garden. The gardens are just lovely.

 

[EllieCat]

I'd like to see a close up of the face, because from a distance it just doesn't look like Diana. I like the fact they put it in Kensington garden, a nice place for it. But from what I've seen, it just doesn't look like her.

 

[Princess Luna]

I like the statue. And it's so very nice to see the brothers together ?

 

[princess gertrude]

My thoughts on today's unveiling.....

The statue does show a faint resemblance to the late Diana, Princess of Wales, but bronze statues are just not very lifelike. Not sure what I was expecting, but this wasn't it.
Did anyone else get the feeling that Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton was maybe there in another capacity other than statue committee member, like "keep-of-the-peace"? Or the princes' "minder" like back in the day? Love seeing him, such a presence in the live of both William and Harry. Same sort of goes for Julia Samuel..... a reminder of what their mother would have wanted (in a way).

 

[Sandy345]

I agree very much especially with the last point.
Let's hope there won't be future arrangements for Diana's 70 th or whatever, it's one thing to mourn and remember somebody you loved,
but another to create a never ending legend while the world around you moves on and given the H&M trouble and Charles' situation they should now give Diana the peace to rest and others to grow and overcome it.

Diana will never be forgotten.

 

[Alison H]

I didn't criticize them at all - nothing against bald men (my brother is one of the many who started balding early). I just observed a common trait both of them have and wondered about the genetic background.

If you look at the photos of the late Earl Spencer walking Diana down the aisle, he hadn't got much hair at the front, and his father, the 7th Earl, had even less hair by his 50s/60s.

Prince Edward's hair's receded a lot more than Prince Charles or Prince Andrew's hair has, and the Duke of Kent's hair was receding from quite a young age ... I am thinking too deeply about this now !

 

[Mirabel]

I liked the statue on the whole; I wasn't keen on the color but I suppose it was chosen for durability.

(I was half expecting something like twisted pieces of metal intended as a modern interpretation of Diana, so I'm satisfied with this).

 

[TLLK]

I agree very much especially with the last point.
Let's hope there won't be future arrangements for Diana's 70 th or whatever, it's one thing to mourn and remember somebody you loved,
but another to create a never ending legend while the world around you moves on and given the H&M trouble and Charles' situation they should now give Diana the peace to rest and others to grow and overcome it.

I agree that now that the statue has been unveiled that perhaps the brothers are ready to just keep their mother's memorial milestones private.