The world was shocked when Princess Diana of Wales died suddenly in a car accident in 1997 at the age of 36. She left behind two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, just 15 and 12 years old, respectively. Now that they’re all grown up, the two princes have worked hard to honor her legacy and keep her memory alive.
Although Princess Diana could not be there for Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton in 2011, or Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle, one artist has take it upon herself to create paintings that imagine what it would be like if the late Princess Diana had been able to meet her daughters-in-law.
A Tribute To Princess Diana
Autumn Ying posted her work to Instagram, where she explained in the caption of one post that she sees her paintings as a tribute: “While Princess Diana won’t get to see her daughters-in-law in reality, I’m thinking of visualizing this scene as a touching tribute to the late mother of Prince William and Prince Harry.”
Here’s her painting that features Princess Diana, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, each of them depicted as they appeared on their own respective wedding days:
Another shows the three along with Princess Charlotte, Prince William and Kate Middleton’s 3-year-old daughter, who served as bridesmaid in her uncle and new aunt’s wedding:
The artist posted another shot of her artwork on May 24 that features Princess Di with her two adult sons. All are dressed in formalwear. In case that wasn’t enough of a tearjerker for you, she also painted two young boys in the picture. At first glance, you might think it’s Princes George and Louis, but look closer and you’ll see they’re William and Harry as kids.
You Can Buy A Print For Yourself — And Support Charity At The Same Time
Ying shared on Instagram that she will be selling prints of her paintings after having received many requests. She plans to donate proceeds from the sales to charity.
“While for every art print purchased, the amount will be donated to UNICEF, in hope of helping the children in need out of malnutrition in Cambodia,” she wrote on Instagram.
Ying also shared the image of yet another painting, one that features newlyweds Prince William and Meghan Markle inside a snow globe:
About The Artist
Ying is an illustrator who — according to her Instagram — has collaborated with such high-profile brands as Christian Dior, Swarovski and Montblanc. The video below features more of her work, and it’s not hard to see why her work is in demand.
Ying’s Instagram features the flags of both Malaysia and Singapore. According to Facebook page, she went to a Chinese high school in Malaysia, studied jewelry design in Singapore and later studied 3D design in the U.K.
Taking a scroll through her Instagram account provides a visual feast of fairytale illustrations and beautiful photography, such as the below.
We can’t wait to see more from Ying, and we give her choice of subject matter two thumbs up!
Royal Wedding Details You Might Have Missed
If you’re among the 29.2 million Americans who tuned into the royal wedding, you know what a beautiful event it was. But even if you consider yourself an expert in all things Harry and Meghan, there were likely a few details you didn’t notice on their big day.
1. Markle’s reception look included two “something blues.”
It’s traditional for a bride to wear something “borrowed, blue, old and new” on her wedding day, and Markle accomplished the blue part with the satin Aquazzura heels she wore to the reception, which featured baby blue soles. She paired them with her striking Stella McCartney gown and a gorgeous aquamarine cocktail ring that belonged to Princess Diana.
2. Cameras caught the moment the reality of the fairytale day hit the bride.
The wedding day is a whirlwind for any bride, but we can’t imagine how overwhelming and exciting the experience must have been for Meghan Markle as an American “commoner” joining the British royal family. It appeared to sink in for the bride when she wascaptured appearing to say, “Oh, my gosh,” as the newlyweds rode through the streets on a horse-drawn carriage after the ceremony.
"Did you see that? That was a real moment… 'just to say 'oh my gosh'… that was the kind of moment you kind of wait for to see her reacting and kind of taking in that moment." @etnow's @KevinFrazier#RoyalWedding#RoyalThisMorninghttps://t.co/tddhkl1mAIpic.twitter.com/6XCAoM28LK
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) May 19, 2018
3. The empty seat next to Prince William was not for Princess Di.
When onlookers realized that Prince William had an empty seat beside him at the ceremony, many speculated that it was in tribute to his late mother, Princess Diana. However, it turns out that the seat was empty so that Queen Elizabeth II, who was seated at her favorite place in the chapel in the second row, would have an unobstructed view.
Keep reading to get the full list of 31 finer points from the royal wedding that you may have missed.
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