AIBU - Princess Diana new statue

[ForeverAintEnough3]

She was a style icon yet she’s in one of those frumpy waist belts that were only in fashion briefly. The face does nothing to represent how beautiful she was. It’s too harsh.

I find it weird that some people are pearl-clutching about others having an opinion on it. It's a fucking statue in a public place - if it was a private memorial in the princes' back gardens, then you'd have a point. As a public spectacle, of course we can have opinions on it. Even, shock horror, that it's a bit shit, lumpen and doesn't really do her justice.

The whole thing was weird. From what is read about Harry coming back for this ceremony, I expected it to be, y'know, a ceremony.
But all it was was them and the spencers in a garden with the artist. Nothing happened, there was no ceremony, and it was the most awkward thing I ever saw.

@colincarrot

It's ok..will and Harry though!

The children are not supposed to be her sons. There are three children included in the statue (can't see the third very easily in this pic) and it's supposed to represent that Diana lived to help people, particularly children, but they are not supposed to be anyone in particular.

I am only four years younger than Diana was when she was in her hey day and I didn't wear belts like that at all.
I remember her in pie crust collars and skirts and suits. In fact, I was shocked to discover how young she did get married as I always thought she was much older than me by about ten years , she used to dress so formally. I guess I just thought that's how royality were as Charlas was always in suits and looked old to me! She did wear some lovely dresses though and was always so tall and slim.
Maybe the unveiling was awkward because of covid too ? Maybe they might have had more people and wasn't allowed to?
I hope the Queens one is much better than this is though , although that's a long way off still!

It's absolutely hideous. I was really quite shocked by how awful it is. Even in statue form in should still have been possible to capture some of Diana's grace and elegance.

@Medievalist

It's absolutely hideous. I was really quite shocked by how awful it is. Even in statue form in should still have been possible to capture some of Diana's grace and elegance.

Statues are pretty hideous.

The James Cordon prank on David Beckham highlights this. DB’s real statue was barely any better!

I do think it looks like her but the proportions are a bit odd. Her bust is much too big, and her head also looks a bit large.
And then there is the shrunken adult with her.

I think it would be difficult to sum up everything people might feel about Diana in 1 image.

They wanted presumably to show her as a powerful person and as someone who was loving and concerned for others, especially children.

She was a mother to William and Harry but presumably they didn't want to show her as "just" their mum, but as someone who also had a wide sphere of influence.

Having a boy of African appearance makes it clear that these are not just her children (she does have mixed race grandchildren of course).

I think the belt makes her look a bit less like the Virgin Mary, or a generic angel or something, in the context of a woman posed with kids.

She also had quite boyish legs IRL (admittedly the statue does look a little like a feminised version of Prince Phillip).

I remember that she was said to have wanted a daughter, so it's rather nice that the statue has a young girl cuddling up to her.

omgthepain
That's such a shame it's so awful and the children do not resemble William and Harry at all

🤣 William to the left, Harry hiding at the back, who is the 3rd child ? 🤣

@SirVixofVixHall

I do think it looks like her but the proportions are a bit odd. Her bust is much too big, and her head also looks a bit large. And then there is the shrunken adult with her.

The hip looks odd too

Shoulders too wide.

The ‘children’ are out of proportion

I think the whole tiring came across as pretty odd. I know it was scaled back but no speeches, so few guests and all over and done with within minutes. Walk into garden, kiss a few relatives who in life were pretty unsupportive and in some cases nasty to Diana. Quickly pull off a sheet, stand and look at it for a couple of minutes whilst having a quick chat to bloke in glasses, shake a couple more hands the William walks away to chat to the gardeners whilst Harry hurries behind and then it is over.

@Wingedharpy

The girl child is quite clearly Patsy Kensit.

😂😂😂

Earl Spencer gives me the creeps.
They fell out for years before she died. He is bitter and probably not very nice.
Dysfunctional family all round really.

@category12

I find it weird that some people are pearl-clutching about others having an opinion on it. It's a fucking statue in a public place - if it was a private memorial in the princes' back gardens, then you'd have a point. As a public spectacle, of course we can have opinions on it. Even, shock horror, that it's a bit shit, lumpen and doesn't really do her justice.

Of course people can have an opinion but do they really need to be so judgemental on the day the two princes are doing something for their dead mother? Would it really kill people to manybe let the day pass before they put the boot in? Compassion is clearly too much for some.

ok so it's from this image

ancientgran Not many people have statues of their late relatives unveiled publicly and broadcast all around the world.
Of course people are going to have an opinion. The whole spectacle invites opinion. Positive and negative.

Does anyone else think it would have been much more touching if the the two children were literally Harry and William? It was just a direct representation of the Christmas card, and shows Diana with her two small sons as many people remember the family. Of course, someone said it would seem pompous to commission a statue of yourself but it's a public piece of art and it feels a lot more meaningful to the public if there was a statue of Diana with her two beloved children, instead of three random multi-ethnic children.

I usually dislike the "what she would have wanted" theorising about people who are no longer with us, but in this case it's safe to say that if you ask ANY mum how they would want to be remembered forever, it would be with their children.

I also think that might have been the case originally but the design for the children were changed in light of the brother's feud or due to concerns to make it more politically correct (post BLM). The third child may have been added to make this less obvious so she's clearly herding random kids instead of her own 2 sons. That also explains why the third one is completely invisible from the front and doesn't seem to be part of the design if a single photo were to be taken of it.

Fricking pointless addition to the Cult of St Diana. I wouldn't be surprised to see offerings.

Well if the statue is based on that Xmas photo, why the heck did the sculptor add about 3 stone to her?

I might take a mosey past it on my way to the shops on the weekend. See what it looks like on real life.

And can I ask - when they do my statue can you please just get something abstract done? Ta.

@TheSunShinesBrighter

ancientgran Not many people have statues of their late relatives unveiled publicly and broadcast all around the world. Of course people are going to have an opinion. The whole spectacle invites opinion. Positive and negative.

Are we children, do we need to spill out every thought in our heads the minute we think them? Couldn't people have waited a day or two? I can't imagine how painful it would be to have say a headstone placed on a loved ones grave and immediately hear people knocking it.

@PastelFlowerJelly

Does anyone else think it would have been much more touching if the the two children were literally Harry and William? It was just a direct representation of the Christmas card, and shows Diana with her two small sons as many people remember the family. Of course, someone said it would seem pompous to commission a statue of yourself but it's a public piece of art and it feels a lot more meaningful to the public if there was a statue of Diana with her two beloved children, instead of three random multi-ethnic children.

I usually dislike the "what she would have wanted" theorising about people who are no longer with us, but in this case it's safe to say that if you ask ANY mum how they would want to be remembered forever, it would be with their children.

I also think that might have been the case originally but the design for the children were changed in light of the brother's feud or due to concerns to make it more politically correct (post BLM). The third child may have been added to make this less obvious so she's clearly herding random kids instead of her own 2 sons. That also explains why the third one is completely invisible from the front and doesn't seem to be part of the design if a single photo were to be taken of it.

It's a statue not a photo so the third child will presumably be perfectly obvious when it is seen in 3D which is surely how you should judge a statue. If it was a painting it would be odd to have the third child in that position.

I can't imagine how painful it would be to have say a headstone placed on a loved ones grave and immediately hear people knocking it.

It’s not remotely the same. She’s been dead for 24 years, the grief would still be pretty raw when a headstone is placed. It’s public art, unveiled in front of the media, of course the public will voice an opinion.

Strange that, we had my father's headstone replaced last year. He died 54 years ago and my mother, widow with young children, couldn't afford much and the one she had hasn't weathered well.

So I know how I'd feel after 54 years and I can't imagine I'd have been any happier 30 years ago.