Duke of Sussex arrives in UK ahead of unveiling of Diana statue in Kensington Palace gardens
The Duke of Sussex has arrived in the UK for the unveiling of a statue of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales.
Harry jetted to England on Friday and will now quarantine as the final preparations are made for the ceremony next Thursday.
A spokeswoman for Harry confirmed the duke had arrived “safely” at his private residence Frogmore Cottage close to the Queen’s Windsor Castle home.
It's unclear how the living situation in the cottage is being managed as Harry’s cousin, Princess Eugenie, her husband Jack Brooksbank and their baby had been living there.
Find out about the plans for the statue unveiling on our podcast - The Royal Rota
Both Harry and William will attend the event on July 1, which will take place on what would have been their mother’s 60th birthday.
Kensington Palace has confirmed the royal brothers and Diana’s close family – thought to be her siblings – and others involved in organising the statue will attend the ceremony in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace.
According to reports, the unveiling was due to be a larger gathering with many of Diana’s friends invited to the ceremony.
But the Daily Mail claims the princess’s friends were left disappointed after Covid-19 restrictions meant it had to be scaled back, with a separate larger event likely to take place in September.
Diana’s sons commissioned the artwork in 2017 – the 20th anniversary year of her death – to celebrate the princess’s life and legacy through the creation of a permanent statue.
The unveiling has been delayed, with the Covid-19 pandemic playing a part in the ceremony now taking place 60 years after the princess was born.
In a statement when the project was announced, the royal brothers said: “Our mother touched so many lives. We hope the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on her life and her legacy.”
Among those attending the unveiling will be members of the statue committee, sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley who created the artwork, and garden designer Pip Morrison.
Harry lives in California with wife Meghan and their two children and as America is on the UK government’s amber list for Covid-19 he must quarantine for 10 days, but can end his isolation early under the test to release scheme if coronavirus tests taken on day two and five are negative.