There is usually a whole ocean between Harry and William. In honor of their mother, the estranged princes now stand side by side. But the distance cannot be overlooked.
London – There is a gap between Harry and William. The brothers stand a little helplessly in front of the image of their mother after the covering sheet has fallen to the ground. Your gaze is fixed on the larger than life statue of Princess Diana, which the two of them commissioned.
Not a hug, not even a pat on the back, as was often seen in princes in the past. It is true that generous distance between people is not unusual in Corona times – but within the closest family, physical contact has long been allowed in England again. The impression remains that the rift that has deepened between the brothers over the past few months is not so easy to bridge despite all the professionalism.
Today, on what would have been our Mother’s 60th birthday, we remember her love, strength and character – qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better. pic.twitter.com/jsZXyUsG7q
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) July 1, 2021
William (39) and Harry (36) make every effort not to take away a piece of the limelight from their mother, who died in a tragic car accident in 1997 and who will be the focus of this day. Diana would have turned 60 today.
A memorial to the mother
With the bronze sculpture, designed by the sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley, the sons of their mother want to set a monument. “Every day we wish that she was still with us, and our hope is that this statue will forever be seen as a symbol of her life and heritage,” the brothers explain in a joint statement.
The fact that both of them speak with one voice on this occasion is already a small step forward. On the death of their grandfather Prince Philip, after which Harry and William met again for the first time after the “Megxit”, they published separate statements – exposed by observers as a secret contest for the more original, more sensitive words.
“We remember their love, their strength and their character – qualities that have made them a force for the good in the world that has changed countless lives for the better,” write the princes in their tribute. The statue reflects Diana’s commitment to others, three children can be seen at her side, some of whom snuggle up to her.
Diana had expressed her sympathy for other people like no other member of the royal family. She confidently shook hands with AIDS sufferers and, among other things, gained the reputation of being a “Queen of Hearts”.
The memorial can now be seen in the Sunken Garden (Sunken Garden) on the grounds of the Kensington Palace, where Diana last lived. The princess died at the height of her popularity when, in the summer of 1997, the car she and her boyfriend Dodi Al Fayed were traveling in crashed on a tunnel pillar in Paris while fleeing from paparazzi. The garden in London is said to have had a special attraction for the princess. In recent years it has been redesigned and planted with 4000 types of flowers – including Diana’s favorite forget-me-nots.
Withdrawal from Harry
When Harry and William commissioned the statue, which had now been unveiled in the presence of Diana’s siblings, 20 years after their tragic death in 2017, their world was still different than it is today: Harry lived in Great Britain, could still laugh together with William and had only just met for a few months long the woman with whom he was to leave his family a few years later. Today he lives with Duchess Meghan and his two children, Archie (2) and the baby Lilibet, in California – and always speaks openly about the past.
The reasons for the couple’s departure from the crown only came to light a few months ago. Not only the bitter dispute with the British press and racist headlines about Meghan’s Afro-American roots should have been to blame. Racism in one’s own family and a lack of support during the crisis brought the barrel to overflow – at least according to the story of Harry and Meghan, which they prominently shared in an explosive interview with presenter Oprah Winfrey and the world in the spring.
While the palace reacted coolly but cautiously, Prince William was the one who took the toughest position against the allegations. The royals are “definitely not a” racist family, he called to reporters a few days after the interview. A denial, as clear as you rarely hear it in the royal universe.
As the BBC reported, citing insider circles, communication between the two has since been kept to a minimum and characterized by deep distrust and anger. It remains to be speculated whether the brothers will actively seek reconciliation in common memory of their mother.
The “Telegraph” reported that the two wanted to meet for a conversation after the memorial ceremony. But such a peace summit had already been rumored on Harry’s last visit to Prince Philips’ funeral – and ultimately little was felt. dpa
