Is This Really What Prince Harry Said When He Saw Diana's Statue For The First Time?
While Princess Diana's statue unveiling proved to be a small, quiet affair, it was still moving to see her two sons working together on the occasion. Even though Prince William and Prince Harry didn't officially share their initial response to their mother's tribute, lip readers have tuned in to see what her sons had to say about the moment they had been waiting for. The brothers commissioned the statue of their mother in 2017 on the 20th anniversary of her death, CNN reports, and they had waited for four long years to see the result.
During the highly anticipated moment, the princes smiled as they saw their mother's likeness so aptly recreated. A professional lip reader noted his thoughts with the UK's The Mirror, sharing what he believes Prince Harry said at the moment he saw his mother's statue.
The small ceremony took place behind the walls at Kensington Palace at the Sunken Garden to reveal the commission that has been in the works for years. According to the outlet, Ian Rank-Broadley was the artist behind the bronze likeness. After the brothers walked in, smiling and laughing with the small number of guests, they turned their attention towards the statue. The lip-reader, Jeremy Freeman, says that Harry appears to have exclaimed, "Wow! Isn't that amazing?"
As for Prince William, Freeman believes he uttered, "What a reveal. Okay. Okay."
After that, Diana's younger son repeated, "Amazing."
Other interpreters have noted that the brothers seemed out of touch with one another
Inevitably, the royals will have their every twist and turn analyzed. This historic moment was no exception. PureWow worked with psychotherapist and body language expert, Toni Coleman, to deduce the status of the relationship between Prince William and Prince Harry. "I think both had strong emotions which were on display in these pictures. However due to their differences, they express them so differently," she offered. "I think [their] statement voiced what both feel and along with this statue and celebration of their mother, will help them to finally express some of that long pent-up grief and sadness."
An intimate moment that they shared with the world, the brothers walked into the garden together and found themselves greeted by 4,000 flowers, The Mirror reports. Framed by a serene landscape and beautiful foliage, the statue left the brothers in awe with Prince Harry finishing by saying, "This is spectacular."
The garden also featured Princess Diana's favorite flowers, forget-me-nots, as a special nod to the late royal. Her family, including her siblings, were in attendance at the unveiling, the BBC reports. Both brothers, but mainly Prince Harry, spent time speaking with their aunts and uncle as the Spencers prepared for the moment. However, neither of the brothers spoke publicly at the event, rather they opted to release a joint statement about the occasion.
On what would have been her 60th birthday, Princess Diana finally received a statue commemorating her legacy and work that impacted the world.
Prince William and Prince Harry spoke of Princess Diana's legacy
While reliving the painful experience of losing their mother in 1997, the brothers made their first appearance together since their grandfather's funeral in April. According to the BBC, they shared remarks during the ceremony which included, "We remember her love, strength and character. Qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better."
The princes continued by noting that their mother's memorial would "be seen forever as a symbol of her life and her legacy" and thanked "those around the world who keep our mother's memory alive". They also shared that the Sunken Garden in which the statue stands was one of her favorite places in Kensington Palace. Before they pulled the green cloth off of the statue, they were chatting with guests and each other.
Rumors swirled about the reason behind Kate Middleton's notable absence. Harper's Bazaar cited the Buckingham Palace press release explaining that only close family of the Princess, the sculptor himself and members of the statue committee would be in attendance at the ceremony. The outlet reports that Prince William took his family — including the three Cambridge children — to see the piece a few days before its official unveiling. At the time, Prince Harry was under quarantine from his travels. The royal family was said to have wanted the focus to stay on the princes and their mother rather than their wives following a dramatic year.
Now, only time will tell when the brothers reunite once again.