Princess Diana's depiction as 60-year-old discussed by pundits

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Princes William and Harry will reunite on Thursday for the much-anticipated unveiling ceremony at the Sunken Garden, at Kensington Palace. The palace issued a statement last year saying the brothers “hoped the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on their mother’s life and legacy”. But historian and author Dr Tessa Dunlop has since shared her dismay at the princes choosing male, artist Ian Rank-Broadley as the designer, whom she described as “everything Diana was not”.

She wrote on Twitter: “Why the hell has the Diana statue been designed by a MAN?

“Ian Rank-Broadley is great at coins, medals, the Queen and soldiers… everything DIANA was not.”

Dr Dunlop further added a female designer was a “missed opportunity” as now Diana’s “exquisite self” may not be truly captured.

She wrote in Mailplus: “There’s certainly no doubting Rank-Broadley’s talent, but the great irony at the heart of this statue story has apparently been overlooked.

“Diana, famously associated with the outsider and the marginalised, known for her evolving, often unconventional style and mental health struggles, is being depicted by one of Britain’s most establishment male artists.

“A generation of girls, myself included, grew up basking in the ‘Diana effect’; her style metamorphosis and personal struggles touched us all.

“Here was a woman’s woman and I for one wish a woman had been asked to capture the extraordinary depths of this mesmerising icon.

“As it is, with Rank-Broadley at the helm, an opportunity has been missed. Perhaps the reason there’s been so little focus on the statue itself is because we can already guess what it’ll look like – a classical representation of Diana’s exquisite self as perceived by a man.

“But what of the woman whose death forced our country to recalibrate emotionally? What would Diana have wanted? Who would she have commissioned?”

The brothers announced they had commissioned the statue back in 2017, to mark the 20th anniversary of their mother’s death.

They also said the statue would recognise their mother’s “positive impact in the UK”.

Harry and William said at the time: “It has been 20 years since our mother’s death and the time is right to recognise her positive impact in the UK and around the world with a permanent statue.”

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They also called Mr Rank-Broadley an “extremely gifted sculptor” when explaining why they picked him.

They said: “Ian is an extremely gifted sculptor and we know that he will create a fitting and lasting tribute to our mother.”

The artist does have a royal link, as his effigy of the Queen has been on Commonwealth coins dating back to 1998.

Mr Rank-Broadley said he would create a “fitting memorial” to Diana.

He said: “It is my sole and highest intention to fulfil the expectations of Their Royal Highnesses in creating a lasting and fitting memorial to their late mother Diana, Princess of Wales.”

The Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace is said to have been one of Diana’s favourite places while she lived there for 15 years.

Sean Harkin, head gardener at Kensington Palace, told Vogue: “She would stop by and talk to the gardeners when she was living here.

“She might be going out for a jog or a walk in the park and if it was early and it was quiet, she would have a chat with them.

“I hope that the garden is joyful, a celebration of Princess Diana’s life. I’m hoping the people come, and they feel uplifted by the garden, remember how Princess Diana made them feel.”

A larger ceremony for the statue will take place in September.

Big names including Elton John and David Furnish, who helped fund the statue, are said to be attending.

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