Innocent Victims facts for kids
The memorial in 2007
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| Coordinates | 51°29′59″N 00°09′49″W / 51.49972°N 0.16361°W |
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| 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 of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed, which has been on display at the Harrods department store in London, England, since 2005. It was commissioned by Dodi's father Mohamed Al-Fayed when he owned Harrods, and designed by William Mitchell.
Contents
Background
The statue is the second of two memorials in Harrods to Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed, both commissioned by Mohamed Al-Fayed, Dodi's father, who owned the store from 1985 to 2010. The first memorial, unveiled in April 1998, is a pyramid-shaped display containing photos of Dodi and Diana, a wine glass said to be from their last dinner, and a ring said to have been purchased by Dodi the day prior to the crash in which they both died.
Design and creation
The statue was designed by London-born sculptor William Mitchell, who had worked for the Al-Fayed family for more than 40 years, and was cast in bronze using the lost wax method at the Bronze Age Foundry in East London. It depicts Diana and Dodi facing each other, clad in loose clothing that clings to their bodies. They are said to be dancing in Mediterranean waves. Dodi's right arm is raised and appears to be releasing a large bird, said to be an albatross symbolising "freedom and eternity". Diana's left arm is also raised, gripping Dodi's hand. Their other arms are below their waists, the fingers just touching.
Location
In January 2018, it was announced by Harrods that the statue would be returned to the Al-Fayed family, seven years after Mohamed Al-Fayed sold Harrods to the Qatar Investment Authority. The store’s current manager, Michael Ward, said it was now time to return the statue to Mohamed Al-Fayed, given that a new public memorial had been commissioned at Kensington Palace by princes William and Harry. At the time of the unveiling, Al-Fayed had claimed that the statue would stay at Harrods forever. The Qatari owners were eager to regain the patronage of the British royal family, Harrods having been Royal Warrant holders continuously from 1913 to 2000 until "the ugly aftermath" of the death of Diana and Dodi. In 2000, Mohamed Al-Fayed had broken commercial ties between Harrods and the Royal Family when he removed the royal warrants. In 2010, he revealed that he had had the warrants burned.
See also
In Spanish: Innocent Victims para niños
