Who is the author of the statue in tribute to Diana inaugurated Thursday in London?
Chosen by a private commission of Princes William and Harry, sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley is also the author of the effigy of the queen which has illustrated the coins since 1998.
He has been putting his art at the service of others for nearly four decades. But his latest creation is likely to be the one the public will scrutinize the most. Ian Rank-Broadley was appointed by Prince Harry and Prince William to make a statue of Princess Diana, who died in August 1997 in Paris in a car accident.
Launched four years ago, the project comes to fruition this Thursday, July 1 with the revelation of the object that will be enthroned in the gardens of Kensington Palace that she loved so much. No details leaked into the work before it was presented at a very small ceremony due to the health crisis. The artist chose to represent her standing, in shirt and pants, surrounded by two children - a girl on her left and a little boy on her right.
A fourth London monument for Diana
“It has been 20 years since our mother passed away and the time has come to recognize her positive impact on the UK and around the world with a permanent statue. Our mother has touched so many lives. We hope this statue will help those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on his life and his legacy, "wrote the sons of Lady Di when the statue's commission was announced four years ago. A committee of six people, including the sister of the late Lady Sarah McCorquodale, was then convened by the two princes to agree on the choice of a sculptor and to raise private funds for the realization of the statue.
Going for Ian Rank-Broadley sounded almost obvious. Born in 1952 in Surrey, the one who defines himself on his site as "one of the major contemporary sculptors" is already linked to the British royal family. It is to him that we owe the face of the queen who adorns the coins across the Channel since 1998. He also signed the coins celebrating the centenary of the queen mother, the silver jubilees and gold of Elizabeth II as well as another series bearing the effigy of Prince Charles. He mainly works with bronze for works of striking realism. Among his most impressive work are the large statues installed at The Armed Forces Memorial - one of England’s most important WWII sites.
The statue of Diana is already shaping up to be a historical object that once again proves Lady Diana's impact on an entire generation. It will be London's fourth monument in his honor, including a fountain named after him in Hyde Park. In Paris, the flame surmounting the Alma Bridge has long been a place of pilgrimage for its worshipers.
