Days earlier, Harry said on a podcast that he thought the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, which protects a free press, was “bonkers.” He added that he did not know much about it, given his recent arrival in the country. Some royal watchers interpreted William’s statement as a subtle dig at Harry for his much-criticized comments.
The rift between the brothers, which opened around the time Harry and Meghan were married, deepened after the couple’s interview with Oprah Winfrey in March. They claimed that before the birth of their first child, Archie, a member or members of the family had expressed anxiety about the skin color of Meghan’s unborn baby.
“We’re very much not a racist family,” William said, when asked about his brother’s allegations.
The social distancing restrictions imposed by the pandemic kept the ceremony exclusive and private, which royal watchers said was a blessing because it reduced scrutiny of William and Harry. Neither the queen, Charles nor William’s wife, Kate, took part. But Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, and her two sisters, Sarah McCorquodale and Jane Fellowes, were on hand.
A small crowd gathered near Kensington Palace, some with balloons and posters wishing Diana a happy 60th birthday. But the ceremony was hidden behind a tall hedge. The garden will be open to the public starting Friday.
The statue was designed by the sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley, whose likeness of the queen has been stamped on coins in Britain since 1998. The Sunken Garden, conceived by King Edward VII in 1908, was remodeled for the occasion by Pip Morrison, a landscape architect who specializes in historic gardens.
In a statement, Mr. Morrison said he aimed to create “a calming place for people to visit Kensington Palace to remember the princess.”
Source : Nytimes
