The press photos of the two Princes on each side of Princess Diana’s statue speak directly to their bond with their mother and how young they were when she died.

Her sons unveiled the monument and paid homage to their mother, saying “every day, we wish she were still with us” as they reunited for the ceremony earlier on Thursday.

“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,” the duo wrote in a statement.

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

Prince William came shortly after Harry, and the two pulled a rope to reveal a bronze sculpture of Diana accompanied by three children in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, her old London residence.

She strikes the typical Madonna pose, arms outstretched. Instead of a flowing veil and cascading robes, she is dressed in a rather frumpy 1980s ensemble.

Diana, larger-than-life, stands at the side of the garden, her hands on the shoulders of two children, a white girl and a black boy, with another child pointing out from behind.

Ian Rank-Broadley is the sculptor.

“I think we felt if the princess stood on her own in solitary fashion she might appear isolated,” he explained.

“And one of the things that came across in talking to her friends and family was she was such a friendly and gregarious person, and she had a particular warmth for children.”

It depicts Diana in her last years as she “gained confidence in her role as an ambassador for humanitarian causes.” Kensington Palace said that the design was intended to reflect her character, compassion, warmth, elegance, and energy.

Her outfit is basic, consisting of a shirt and a skirt. Rank-Broadley’s lines are clear and uncomplicated. No one smiles, despite the boy’s determined, optimistic face. The symmetrical arrangement has a medieval vibe, but Diana’s magnificent magnanimity has a strong Victorian philanthropic flavor: the Queen in People’s Hearts has become the mother of children worldwide.

A paving stone underneath the statue is engraved with a modified excerpt from the poem A Measure of a Man. It says:

These are the units to measure the worth

Of this woman as a woman regardless of birth.

Not what was her station?

But had she a heart?

How did she play her God-given part?

Rank-Broadley said that William and Harry assisted him with photos, reminiscences, and stories about their mother, which he relied on when they frequented his studio. He described it as a “collaborative effort,” saying he had given “the greatest heed to both princes in what they had to say,” and he hoped the monument would offer them “solace.”

This figure reminds us of an older era of art, especially memorial sculpture, when a grieving figure costumed like this would be typical.

Is the monument a true representation of Diana’s renowned beauty? The general consensus will most likely be no. Tessa Dunlop, a television presenter and historian, speculated that this was done on purpose. “Perhaps the artist… recognised he couldn’t match Diana’s beauty, so instead chose to focus on her unique ability to reach out to others.”

If Diana had lived, this new serious, dominating Diana is perhaps what she would have been like. Yes, she looks excellent for 60, but so do many 60-year-olds these days.

Alastair Sooke, the Telegraph’s senior art critic, said that Diana seemed “combative and confrontational, not maternal” in the new piece, and that her posture was “distinctively masculine.” Sooke stated that it was neither excellent art nor a decent likeness before predicting that the people would enjoy it.

The material is bronze, which is extremely traditional yet completely appropriate.

“A lot of well-wishers and diehard fans simply wanted a good old-fashioned statue of their heroine. And that’s exactly what they’ve got.”

The Times’ Rachel Campbell-Johnston rated it two stars out of five. She described the statue as having a “devotional aura.” “Perhaps this is precisely what a wider public who all but worshipped the princess would want – which may in turn be precisely why this statue is, aesthetically speaking, so horrible.

“There is no sense of unique vision that a great artist can bring. Instead, the image feels calculated to appeal to the lowest common denominator. It speaks of generic sentiment, not any more stirring emotion.

“Princess Diana deserved something much better.”

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