William And Harry Surprised Everyone With A Joint Speech At The Diana Statue Unveiling
They were expected to speak separately.
Today, July 1, would have been Princess Diana’s 60th birthday, and celebrations in her memory are in order. A new statue of the Princess of Wales was commissioned by her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, in her honor, and the royal family gathered at Kensington Palace for its reveal. A reminder of Diana’s lasting legacy, the memorial service also included speeches by the late Princess’ sons, William and Harry, who haven’t appeared in public together since Prince Philip’s funeral in April. But both brothers have fond memories of their mother, and William and Harry’s speech at the Princess Diana statue unveiling was proof that the love between them still runs deep.
These days, seeing William and Harry in the same place is always worthy of note. Ever since the “royal rift” — which began in 2018, when rumors of drama between Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, and Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, swirled alongside hearsay about the brothers themselves — royal family fans have closely watched William and Harry’s every interaction. When Harry and Meghan retired from their roles as senior members of the British monarchy and moved to California (and did an interview with Oprah where they all but confirmed the rumors of the royal rift), the brothers' distance grew even more.
The Duke of Sussex, though, has made it clear he still loves his brother dearly. “As I said before, I love William to bits,” he told Oprah in March. “We’ve been through hell together and we have a shared experience, but we are on different paths."
But, despite the brothers’ differences, there’s one thing they’ll always have in common: their love for their mom. That’s why it was so sweet hearing William and Harry’s united speech about Diana, which you can read below. (But first, grab some Kleenex.)
“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,” William and Harry said in a joint statement. “Every day, we wish she were still with us, and our hope is that this statue will be seen forever as a symbol of her life and her legacy. Thank you to Ian Rank-Broadley, Pip Morrison, and their teams for their outstanding work, to the friends and donors who helped make this happen, and to all those around the world who keep our mother’s memory alive.”
The Brothers were all smiles and appeared to be getting along just fine as they walked side-by-side to the ceremony.
William and Harry were originally expected to make separate speeches. After all, the pair reportedly barely spoke at other recent family events. So when they took the podium together to honor their mother, it was the ultimate mark of love.
