Prince Harry and Prince William weren’t alone when they stepped out together to unveil the statue dedicated to their mother, Princess Diana.
The Kensington Palace event was highly anticipated on royal fans’ calendars, and didn’t fail to disappoint as the brothers finally came together before the cameras and revealed the stunning statue they had commissioned for the late Princess.
But what you might not have noticed were the special guests who quietly flanked them.
Helming the guest list behind Prince Harry and Prince William was Princess Diana’s brother, Earl Charles Spencer, who has continuously been vocal about his sister’s incredible life and legacy in the years since her passing.
Clearly moved by the days events in Kensington Palace’s Sunken Garden (one of Diana’s favourite spots in her former home), the younger brother shared a sweet anecdote on his Instagram account.
“The Kensington Sunken Garden’s gardeners – heroes that I met today,” he explained alongside a picture of two smiling people who formerly worked at the Palace.
“Gary (left) was gardener here in the 1980s. He said to me this afternoon: ‘I loved your sister. And I promise to look after this garden to the best of my ability, till the day I have to move on.’ And I believe him,” The Earl finished.
Also coming along to show their support was Diana’s two sisters, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes.
The pair have largely kept to themselves in the years following Diana’s tragic death, but they have been present for some of William and Harry’s biggest milestones.
Most recently, we saw them pictured at the Christening of the Duke of Sussex’s newborn son Archie’s Christening in 2019.
A close friend of Diana’s and chairman of the statue committee Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton was also there to celebrate the milestone day.
Jamie has remained close to Harry and William through the years – his son Billy was even a pageboy at Kate and William’s royal wedding in 2011.
Another guest showing her support for the brothers was Julia Samuel.
She is the founder patron of Child Bereavement UK and was a close friend of Diana’s. It’s believed she remains incredibly close to the royal brothers, and is even godmother to future King, Prince George.
And of course, we can’t forget the statue and garden’s designers who worked hard behind the scenes for years (yes, this was commissioned by the brothers back in 2017!) to create the the stunning instalment.
Ian Rank-Broadley designed the statue itself, which features Diana standing among three small children. Pip Morrison designed the surrounding garden, which features more than 200 roses and 100 Forget-Me-Nots – Diana’s favourite flower.