Innocent Victims facts for kids
The memorial in 2007
|
|
| Coordinates | 51°29′59″N 00°09′49″W / 51.49972°N 0.16361°W |
|---|---|
| Location | Harrods department store, London |
| Designer | William Mitchell |
| Type | Sculpture |
| Material | Bronze |
| Dedicated to | Diana, Princess of Wales. Dodi Fayed |
Innocent Victims is a bronze statue that shows Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed. It was displayed at the Harrods department store in London, England, starting in 2005. Dodi's father, Mohamed Al-Fayed, asked for the statue to be made when he owned Harrods. It was designed by the artist William Mitchell.
Contents
About the "Innocent Victims" Statue
This statue is one of two memorials in Harrods made for Diana, Princess of Wales, and Dodi Fayed. Both memorials were asked for by Mohamed Al-Fayed, Dodi's father. He owned the Harrods store from 1985 to 2010.
The first memorial was put on display in April 1998. It was shaped like a pyramid. Inside, it had photos of Dodi and Diana. It also included a wine glass said to be from their last dinner. There was also a ring that Dodi was said to have bought just before they both died in a car crash.
How the Statue Was Made
The statue was designed by William Mitchell, a sculptor from London. He had worked for the Al-Fayed family for over 40 years. The statue was made from bronze using a special method called the lost wax method. This happened at the Bronze Age Foundry in East London.
The statue shows Diana and Dodi facing each other. They are wearing loose clothes that seem to cling to their bodies. It looks like they are dancing in ocean waves. Dodi's right arm is raised, and he appears to be letting go of a large bird. This bird is said to be an albatross, which stands for "freedom and eternity." Diana's left arm is also raised, holding Dodi's hand. Their other hands are lower down, with their fingers just touching.
Where the Statue Is Now
In January 2018, Harrods announced that the statue would be given back to the Al-Fayed family. This happened seven years after Mohamed Al-Fayed sold Harrods to the Qatar Investment Authority.
The store's manager, Michael Ward, said it was time for the statue to go back to Mohamed Al-Fayed. This was because Princes William and Harry had asked for a new public memorial to Diana at Kensington Palace. When the statue was first put in Harrods, Al-Fayed had said it would stay there forever.
The new owners of Harrods from Qatar wanted to have a good relationship with the British royal family again. Harrods used to have special permission, called a Royal Warrant, to supply goods to the Royal Family from 1913 to 2000. This permission was removed after Diana and Dodi died. In 2000, Mohamed Al-Fayed ended all business ties between Harrods and the Royal Family. In 2010, he even said he had burned the royal warrants.
See also
In Spanish: Innocent Victims para niños
