Statue of Diana, Princess of Wales

A bronze statue of Diana, Princess of Wales stands in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Her two sons William and Harry commissioned it to mark the 20th anniversary of her death. Sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley created the statue while Pip Morrison redesigned the garden around it. The work was unveiled on 1 July 2021, which would have been Diana’s 60th birthday. A small committee led by Lady Sarah McCorquodale helped organise the project. The BBC’s royal correspondent Peter Hunt noted that such a national monument had been long awaited. The statue shows Diana surrounded by three children, symbolising her universal influence across generations. It sits at one end of the newly planted Sunken Garden, where five gardeners arranged over 4,000 flowers. The garden includes forget-me-nots, Diana’s favourite, along with roses, tulips, lavender, dahlias and sweet peas. A paving stone in front bears a line from Wallace Gallaher’s poem The Measure of a Man, first read at her 2007 memorial service. The design aimed to reflect her life and lasting impact on many people. Visitors find the statue in a quiet corner of the Sunken Garden, a sunken flowerbed near the palace. The garden’s colourful planting changes with the seasons, offering a peaceful setting for reflection. The bronze figure stands at ground level, making it easy to view from close by. Some critics called the sculpture flat or lifeless, while others praised its warmth and sincerity. The garden itself, with its fragrant blooms and orderly paths, provides a fitting place to remember Diana’s kindness and legacy.