Prince William and Harry announce Diana statue sculptor

11 December 2017

Prince William and Harry have selected Ian Rank-Broadley to sculpt a memorial dedicated to their late mother Princess Diana.

Prince William and Prince Harry

The royals have enlisted the Queen's coin artist to work on a sculpture as a "fitting and lasting tribute" to the late Princess' life.

They said in a statement: "We have been touched by the kind words and memories so many people have shared about our mother over these past few months. It is clear the significance of her work is still felt by many in the UK and across the world, even twenty years after her death. Ian is an extremely gifted sculptor and we know that he will create a fitting and lasting tribute to our mother. We look forward to unveiling the statue, which will allow all those who visit Kensington Palace to remember and celebrate her life and legacy."

The statue will be erected in the public grounds of Kensington Palace, which is also where Prince William and Prince Harry live with their respective partners, Duchess Catherine and 'Suits' actress Meghan Markle.

Back in January, William and Harry announced they would be commissioning a statue to mark 20 years since her tragic death.

They said in statement at the time: "It has been 20 years since our mother's death and the time is right to recognise her positive impact in the UK and around the world with a permanent statue. 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."

Whilst Royal historian Kate Williams added of the decision to have a statue put up in Diana's memory: "They can put their stamp [on her legacy as] a great charitable patron. The princes have really taken up her mantle of the charity work - particularly of looking at the Cinderella causes, that don't get that much attention."