Statue of Diana, Princess of Wales
The Statue of Diana, Princess of Wales stands within the serene grounds of Kensington Palace in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. Unveiled on 1 July 2021, which would have been Diana's 60th birthday, the bronze sculpture was commissioned to honour her enduring legacy and the extraordinary impact she had on countless lives around the world. It represents one of the most emotionally significant public artworks in modern British history, created at the request of Diana's two sons, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, who jointly commissioned it as a tribute to their mother. The statue stands in the Sunken Garden, one of the most intimate and beautifully maintained sections of Kensington Palace's grounds, a location deeply associated with Diana during her lifetime.
The sculptor chosen for this sensitive commission was Ian Rank-Broadley, one of Britain's most celebrated portrait sculptors and the artist whose effigy of Queen Elizabeth II has appeared on United Kingdom coinage since 1998. His depiction of Diana shows her in a relaxed, open pose, arms outstretched as though welcoming or embracing, surrounded by three children who represent the universality of those she helped throughout her life. The grouping conveys warmth, accessibility and compassion — qualities for which Diana was universally celebrated. The base of the statue incorporates an engraving from a poem by Ted Hughes, the Poet Laureate during Diana's lifetime, and is set on a Portland stone plinth. The garden around it was redesigned for the unveiling, planted with flowers including forget-me-nots, which were Diana's favourite bloom.
The Sunken Garden itself has a long and storied history within the Kensington Palace estate. It was originally created in 1909 under the direction of the Office of Works and is modelled loosely on a Dutch-style formal garden with a central rectangular pond, ornamental beds, and a sheltered walkway of pleached lime trees forming a tunnel of arching branches around the perimeter. The garden has for decades been one of the most picturesque corners of the palace grounds, drawing visitors throughout the seasons with its carefully curated floral displays. When Diana lived at Kensington Palace — from her marriage to Prince Charles in 1981 until their separation in 1992 — she was known to walk in this garden, and it therefore carries a particular poignancy as the site chosen for her memorial.
In person, the statue and its garden setting create a powerful atmosphere that blends quiet beauty with emotional resonance. The bronze has a warm, golden-brown patina, and the figure of Diana is rendered with realistic softness and dignity. Visitors often fall silent when they first approach, and many leave flowers, notes, or simply spend a moment in reflection. The sound of birdsong and the gentle movement of water in the nearby pond complement the intimate scale of the space. The lime tree walk that encircles the sunken section dapples the light, and in spring and early summer the garden is ablaze with tulips and other seasonal planting, making it one of the most photographed spots in the whole of London.
Kensington Palace and its gardens are located on the western edge of Kensington Gardens, which in turn adjoin Hyde Park, making this part of west London one of the largest and most beautiful green spaces in the city. Within easy walking distance are the Albert Memorial, the Serpentine Gallery, the Italian Gardens at the northern end of the Long Water, and the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park itself — making the broader area something of a pilgrimage route for those wishing to remember Diana. The Round Pond, beloved for model boat sailing, lies just to the east of the palace. High Street Kensington and Notting Hill are both within comfortable walking distance, offering a wide variety of cafes, restaurants and shops for visitors wishing to extend their day.
The nearest Underground stations are High Street Kensington on the District and Circle lines, approximately a 10-minute walk through the park, and Queensway on the Central line, a similarly short stroll from the north. Kensington Gardens and the surrounding grounds are free to enter and open daily from dawn to dusk. Kensington Palace itself charges an admission fee for its interior historic rooms and exhibitions, but the Sunken Garden and the statue can be visited without a ticket, making this one of the most accessible royal heritage sites in London. Visiting in the morning on a weekday tends to offer a quieter experience, as weekends and the summer holidays draw substantial crowds. The garden is peaceful in all seasons — winter visits have their own stripped, contemplative quality, while summer brings the full glory of the planting.
One lesser-known detail about the statue's creation is the deliberate symbolic layering in its design: the three children around Diana have no specific identities, representing not any individual but the concept of the generations she touched. Ian Rank-Broadley worked from a wide range of photographic references spanning Diana's entire adult life, and the statue does not depict her at any single specific age, but rather synthesises her appearance to capture something timeless and universal. The choice of Portland stone for the plinth also carries significance — it is the same material used in many of London's most enduring landmarks, including St Paul's Cathedral, anchoring the statue within the deep tradition of British commemorative architecture. The joint appearance of William and Harry at the unveiling, the first time they had been publicly seen together for some time following a period of family tension, itself became a significant moment in the continuing public story of the royal family.