Princess Diana statue takes inspiration from 1993 Christmas card

The statue honouring Princess Diana bears a striking similarity to an adorable old photo of herself with Princes William and Harry.

Princess Diana’s statue was unveiled overnight, showing the late royal with her arms around three unnamed children in a nod to her tireless charity work.

But royal watchers have since pointed out how similar the display is to an old photo of the Princess of Wales with her sons, Princes William and Harry.

A 1993 Christmas card of the trio shows Diana wearing exactly the same outfit as the one depicted in the statue, a collared blouse with panelled detailing, a big-buckle belt and a tailored skirt.

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Prince William and Prince Harry with the statue of their mother, Princess Diana. Picture: Dominic Lipinski – WPA Pool/Getty Images

The 28-year-old photo shows a young Harry looking lovingly at his mother, as Diana gazes at William who is staring at the camera.

The only detail that looks different is her hair, with the statue of Diana bearing a longer style.

Prince Harry, Princess Diana and Prince William pose for their Christmas card in 1993. Picture: Supplied

Kensington Palace announced that “the portrait and style of dress was based on the final period of her life as she gained confidence in her role as an ambassador for humanitarian causes and aims to convey her character and compassion.”

The unnamed children are intended to represent Diana’s various children-focused charity endeavours, and her reputation as the “people’s princess”.

Diana died in 1997 at the age of 36 in a car crash in Paris.

Her sons put their recent differences aside to commemorate Diana’s statue unveiling in the gardens of Kensington Palace on Thursday, local time.

William and Harry were seen happily chatting to one another in a display reminiscent of the special bond they have shared over the years, despite Harry’s recent criticism of his family in several interviews since moving to the US with his wife, Meghan Markle, last year.

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Prince Harry and Prince William reunited at the statue unveiling of Princess Diana in London. Picture: Dominic Lipinski/POOL/AFP

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Shortly after the intimate gathering, the brothers released a joint statement via the Kensington Royal Twitter page.

“Today, on what would have been our Mother’s 60th birthday, we remember her love, strength and character – qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better,” it read.

“Every day, we wish she were still with us, and our hope is that this statue will be seen forever as a symbol of her life and her legacy.

“Thank you to Ian Rank-Broadley, Pip Morrison and their teams for their outstanding work, to the friends and donors who helped make this happen, and to all those around the world who keep our mother’s memory alive,” they concluded, before signing off from “Prince William and Prince Harry.”