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Diana’s statue at Kensington Palace to be specially opened to the public to mark anniversary of her death

To mark the 24th anniversary of her death, the new statue of Diana, Princess of Wales in Kensington Palace Gardens will be specially opened to the public.

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Unveiled by her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, on the 60th anniversary of her birth, on 1 July of this year, special arrangements have been made to allow visitors to view the new memorial up close this coming Tuesday, August 31 2021.

On Tuesday from 3 to 5 pm, Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) said people will be allowed to see the statue from the Cradle Walk around the Sunken Garden.

A spokesman for HRP said: “We acknowledge that there will be interest in viewing the statue on that day. So we will be providing access to the Cradle Walk which is essentially the beautiful walkway around the Sunken Garden.

We will be opening that up, freely available for passers-by or anybody who wants to stop and take a moment on that Tuesday, specially for the anniversary.”

While entry to the Cradle Walk will be free and no bookings are required, visitors will not be allowed to leave flowers at the base of the bronze tribute, nor approach it. Typically on the anniversary of her death, people usually leave flowers and messages at the ornate Golden Gates of Kensington Palace.

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The statue was commissioned by Diana’s sons who were just 15 and 12 at the time of their mother’s death. Crafted by artist Ian Rank-Broadley, the statue shows Diana based on the final period of her life, surrounded by three children.

About author

My name is Sydney Zatz and I am a University of Iowa graduate. I graduated with a degree in journalism and sports studies, and a minor in sport and recreation management. A highlight of my college career was getting the chance to study abroad in London and experiencing royal history firsthand. I have a passion for royals, royal history, and journalism, which led me to want to write for Royal Central.