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Prince William and Prince Harry unite for rare joint statement ahead of Princess Diana milestone

The installation will take place on 1 July 2021

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Sharnaz Shahid
Deputy Online Editor
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The new Princess Diana statue, which was commissioned by Prince William and Prince Harry, will be installed next year on what would have been her 60th birthday, it has been confirmed.

READ: Prince William and Harry's most memorable quotes about their Princess Diana

In a statement released by Kensington Palace, the message read: "The statue that Prince William and Prince Harry have commissioned to commemorate their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, will be installed next year on what would have been her 60th Birthday.

WATCH: A sweet tribute to Princess Diana

"The statue was commissioned to mark the twentieth anniversary of her death and recognise her positive impact in the UK and around the world."

MORE: Kate Middleton sends heartfelt letter to young boy after incredible gesture

Kensington Palace said on Friday that the installation has been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, but will take place in the Sunken Garden of Kensington Palace on 1 July 2021.

"The Princes hope that the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on their mother's life and her legacy," the message concluded.

Princes William and Harry have commissioned the statue to remember their mother Princess Diana

Meanwhile, Monday will mark 23 years since Diana died in a car crash in Paris, when William and Harry were aged just 15 and 12. The Dukes have previously said now is the right time to recognise their mother’s positive impact "in the UK and around the world".

READ: Prince Harry pays touching tribute Princess Diana during engagement interview

In a statement when the project was first announced, William and Harry 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." The statue was created by renowned artist Ian Rank-Broadley, whose portrait of the Queen appears on all UK coins.

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View of Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace

In an exclusive interview with HELLO! in May 2016, Prince Harry said he and his brother were determined to create a "permanent memorial" to their mother. He said: "We want to make sure that there's something that she's remembered by and there's certainly not enough on the right scale in London or anywhere in the UK that she's remembered for. And I think myself, William and a few other people, we all agree on that."

He added: "Something needs to be put in stone or in place as a memory. Lots of people still talk about her. Every single day we still think about her, so it would be very fitting on the 20th anniversary to have something that is going to last forever and is actually a proper recognition of what she did when she was alive."

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