Prince William & Harry keep royal rift aside to unveil Diana's statue on her 60th birth anniversary
Princess Di remains an enduring source of fascination.
By AFP |
AP
When the project was announced in 2017, William, 39, and Harry, 36, said they hoped it would help visitors reflect on their mother's "life and her legacy".
LONDON: Princes William and Harry set aside their differences on Thursday to unveil a new statue to their mother, Princess Diana, on what would have been her 60th birthday.
The brothers will take the wraps off the tribute in the garden of Diana's former London home at Kensington Palace, in a stripped-back ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic.
When the project was announced in 2017, William, 39, and Harry, 36, said they hoped it would help visitors reflect on their mother's "life and her legacy".
Diana, who died aged 36 in 1997 in a high-speed Paris car crash, remains an enduring source of fascination.
On Tuesday, her 1981 Ford Escort - an engagement present from Prince Charles - was sold at auction to a South American museum for over £50,000 ($69,200, 58,100 euros).
But despite royal aides describing Thursday's ceremony as a "very personal" family event, all eyes will be on her sons for any signs of visible tension.
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As young boys, the brothers provided the enduring image from Diana's funeral, as they walked, heads bowed, behind her coffin past hushed crowds in central London.
When they assumed more royal duties, they shared household staff and frequently appeared together to promote mutual causes, many of which were championed by their mother.
For a time, the brothers and their wives were dubbed "The Fab Four", seen as modernising the royal family and making it more appealing to a younger generation.
But their once-close relationship has visibly soured. Royal biographer Robert Lacey has even called the bad blood the most serious royal conflict for generations.
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There have always been tensions between the so-called "heir and the spare", he said in publicity for his new book "Battle of Brothers", "but nothing so profound as this".
File photo of April 13, 1992: Princess Diana leaves the Natural History Museum after viewing a dinosaur exhibition with her sons Prince Harry, left, and Prince William.
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Icebreaker? Harry confirmed rumours that he and William had fallen out in a 2019 television interview, revealing that they were "on different paths".
The former British Army captain -- seen as more impulsive than his elder brother, who is second-in-line to the throne -- now lives with his wife, Meghan, in the United States.
The couple, who have two young children, have since complained about the suffocating nature of royal life and how it affected their mental health.
Most pointedly, they accused an unnamed senior royal of racism, claiming they had asked what colour skin their unborn son, Archie, would have, as Meghan is mixed race.
As the royal family promised an investigation, and focus turned to diversity in the palace, William shot back, telling reporters: "We are very much not a racist family."
Harry, who reportedly flew back from California last week, was last in Britain in April for the funeral of his grandfather, Queen Elizabeth II's husband Prince Philip.
He was seen talking to William after the service at Windsor Castle. But there has been little indication of any thaw in their frosty ties.
William's wife, Kate, has said she has yet to be introduced to Harry and Meghan's daughter, Lilibet Diana, who was born last month.
And last week, royal officials appeared to contradict Harry's claims that he had been cut off financially since his move, as they published the latest accounts.
Omid Scobie, who wrote a sympathetic biography of Harry and Meghan about their shock move to the United States, said Thursday's meeting could help mend fences.
The statue unveiling could be "the icebreaker that is needed", he told reporters in London recently. "There's a lot to be discussed."
William and Harry -- and, it has been reported, Meghan -- are expected to meet again in June next year for celebrations of their grandmother's 70 years as queen.
The British Royal Family Isn't Alone. A Look At Other Regal Controversies Around The World
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After keeping a stiff upper lip over Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s explosive interview to Oprah Winfrey, Buckingham Palace finally broke its silence, saying it was saddened and concerned. Royal watchers say the foundations of the House of Windsor have been shaken, with comparisons being made with Lady Diana’s famous interview with Martin Bashir on BBC, where she said there were three people in her marriage, and even Edward VIII’s abdication to marry an American divorcee.
The British royals could, perhaps, take some comfort in the fact that this is just one of many scandals, controversies and shocking circumstances royal families around the world have found themselves in.
Take a look:
After keeping a stiff upper lip over Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s explosive interview to Oprah Winfrey, Buckingham Palace finally broke its silence, saying it was saddened and c..
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Thailand
In July 2019, Thailand’s ruler, Maha Vajiralongkorn, created a stir when he made Sineenat, a royal guard and former nurse, his “royal noble consort”. It was the first time the title, akin to that of an official mistress, was being used in close to a century. Three months later, the palace announced that Sineenat was stripped of all ranks because she had tried to supplant the queen, the king’s fourth wife. Sineenat then vanished from the public eye only to be reinstated in mid-2020, soon after which hundreds of explicit photos of her were leaked, in what was interpreted as a power struggle in the Thai palace. Controversial stories around the Thai ruler, once photographed in Munich in a crop top and tattoo sleeve, are legion but Thailand’s citizens can’t discuss any of this openly.
The reason? A law which punishes any public criticism of its royals with imprisonment.
Thailand In July 2019, Thailand’s ruler, Maha Vajiralongkorn, created a stir when he made Sineenat, a royal guard and former nurse, his “royal noble consort”. It was the first time the title, akin to..
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Brunei
Tales of Brunei’s prince Jefri Bolkiah are numerous — including salacious stories of his “harem”. He has, for instance, been sued by a former US model over charges that he used her as a “sex slave”. He was also accused by his brother of embezzling $15 billion from the Brunei Investment Agency which resulted in a protracted legal battle that played out in the UK courts. A settlement was finally reached according to which he promised to turn over assets that included 600 properties, over 2,000 cars, over 100 paintings and 9 aircraft.
BruneiTales of Brunei’s prince Jefri Bolkiah are numerous — including salacious stories of his “harem”. He has, for instance, been sued by a former US model over charges that he used her as a “sex sl..
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Sweden
Till 2010, the Swedish royal family had enjoyed a flawless reputation for respectability. But that was blown apart by a tell-all book, The Reluctant Monarch, which portrayed the king, Carl XVI Gustav, as a philanderer who took part in numerous sex parties and frequented strip clubs. The Scandinavian nation erupted in uproar over the book, which also alleged that Sweden’s secret police, Sapo, was involved in concealing the monarch’s unsavoury activities.
SwedenTill 2010, the Swedish royal family had enjoyed a flawless reputation for respectability. But that was blown apart by a tell-all book, The Reluctant Monarch, which portrayed the king, Carl XVI ..
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Saudi Arabia
In November 2017, close to 400 of the most wealthy and powerful people in Saudi Arabia were rounded up and confi ned in the Ritz-Carlton hotel in the most contentious purge of its kind in the kingdom. It was carried out at the behest of the crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, who alleged that they were guilty of corruption. Saudi offi cials said over $100 billion was recovered from them and returned to the treasury before they were released.
Saudi Arabia In November 2017, close to 400 of the most wealthy and powerful people in Saudi Arabia were rounded up and confi ned in the Ritz-Carlton hotel in the most contentious purge of its kind ..
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Dubai
In 2018, Princess Latifa, daughter of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, tried to flee the country. She was allegedly caught off the coast of Goa and brought back. She had since sent secret video messages where she said she was being held hostage. For a while, the secret messages stopped, sparking concern about her well-being, though the Dubai government officially said she was safe. Two decades ago, her sister, Princess Shamsa, had unsuccessfully tried to escape while in the UK in 2000. She has not been seen in public since.
Dubai In 2018, Princess Latifa, daughter of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, tried to flee the country. She was allegedly caught off the coast of Goa and brought back. She had since..
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Denmark
The Danish are very fond of their royal family. Crown Prince Frederik and his wife Mary are called the “bicycling royals” for cycling to pick up their kids, and some 70% Danes support the monarchy. So the country was taken aback when, in an interview to a journalist, Princess Marie, wife of Frederik’s younger brother, indicated that she and her husband had more or less been exiled to France by the royal family. Historians viewed this as the outcome of an internal power struggle which the younger sibling lost.
Denmark The Danish are very fond of their royal family. Crown Prince Frederik and his wife Mary are called the “bicycling royals” for cycling to pick up their kids, and some 70% Danes support the mo..
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Nepal
On June 1, 2001, the world was horrifi ed by a massacre in the Himalayan kingdom. The crown prince, Dipendra, went on a murderous rampage, killing nine members of the royal family, including his parents, the king and the queen, before using his gun to kill himself. The mass shooting of the royal family at the Narayanhity Palace and the uproar it caused, laid the ground for the eventual abolition of monarchy in Nepal.
Nepal On June 1, 2001, the world was horrifi ed by a massacre in the Himalayan kingdom. The crown prince, Dipendra, went on a murderous rampage, killing nine members of the royal family, including hi..
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Spain
In March 2020, in an unprecedented move, Spain’s king, Felipe, gave up his personal inheritance and stripped his father and former king, Juan Carlos, of his annual stipend, following allegations that the son would benefit from an offshore fund, set up by the father, with links to Saudi Arabia. A supreme court probe was also launched into his role in a multi-billion dollar deal for a high-speed rail line in Saudi Arabia won by a Spanish company. Carlos announced in August 2020 that he would be going into exile abroad to save his son, the current king, further embarrassment.
(Text Sources: Vanity Fair, BBC, CNN, The Independent)
Spain In March 2020, in an unprecedented move, Spain’s king, Felipe, gave up his personal inheritance and stripped his father and former king, Juan Carlos, of his annual stipend, following allegation..
