Prince William and Harry to unveil Princess Diana statue

Prince William and Harry's mum - Princess Diana

A special ceremony will be held on Thursday to unveil a statue of Princess Diana.

Princess Diana was married to Prince Charles, and was Prince William and Harry's mum. She died in 1997.

The statue - which will be placed in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace in London - will be revealed in a small ceremony on 1 July to mark what would have been her 60th birthday.

It was commissioned by William and Harry in 2017, and has been made by artist Ian Rank-Broadley, whose portrait of the Queen appears on all UK coins.

Harry and William 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."

Who was Princess Diana?

Princess Diana was one of the most famous people in the world and was really popular with many people in the UK.

She married Prince Charles on 29 July 1981 in a huge ceremony that was watched by around 750 million people around the world on live television - it was a really big deal because Prince Charles is next in line to the throne after the Queen.

A few years later Diana gave birth to two sons - Prince William and Prince Harry.

Throughout her life, Diana was very passionate about charity work, and she often used the attention the media gave her to highlight important campaigns she believed in.

Princess Diana with a young William and Harry

In 1997, Diana visited Paris where she died in a car crash. Her funeral was broadcast on TV and was a huge event - thousands of people lined the streets and around 2.5 billion people watched on television.

The Prime Minister of the UK at the time, Tony Blair, described her as "the people's Princess".

Find out more about her life here.

Who will be at the statue event?

Prince William and Harry will be at the event, but Meghan and Kate will not

Due to coronavirus restrictions, the amount of people allowed to attend is limited.

Prince Harry and William will be at the event, and will share personal speeches about their mum.

Diana's siblings will also be at the event, as will the statue's sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley and garden designer Pip Morrison.

Prince Charles will not be at the event, and neither will the Queen.

William's wife Kate and Harry's wife Meghan will not be at the event either.

Meghan will be at their home in California in the US with their new baby Lilibet while Kate will visit the statue with William and their children in private at another time.

A second event has been planned for September to allow more people to attend - if restrictions are lifted.

Why are some people talking about the event?

Princess Diana was hugely popular and is still missed by many today who remember her and particularly her charity work.

The statue ceremony will also be the first time that Prince Harry and William will have come together since Prince Phillip's funeral in April.

The two brothers were very close growing up, but haven't spent as much time together as they have got older.

Prince Harry revealed he was stepping down as a member of the Royal family in 2020 and moving to the US.

Harry and Meghan also spoke out about life as a member of the Royal Family in an interview with Oprah, and Harry talked about his relationship with his father and older brother.

Harry said he loved his brother William and they have been through a lot together, but described them as being on "different paths".