Tag Archives: Statue

Entertainment

Why Prince Charles will be missing from Princess Diana’s statue unveiling: report

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Prince Charles will reportedly be absent from Princess Diana’s upcoming statue unveiling.

According to Entertainment Tonight, the Prince of Wales, who was married to the late mother of Princes William and Harry from 1981 to 1996, elected not to attend the memorial moment simply because he “doesn’t want to be a distraction.”

“He and Diana had a complicated relationship after their divorce, but they came to appreciate each other,” the source added of Charles, who will reportedly be in Scotland at the time of the unveiling.

Diana died in 1997 following a car crash in Paris, France. She was 36.

PRINCE WILLIAM CALLED MEGHAN MARKLE ‘THAT BLOODY WOMAN’ AFTER ROYAL FUNERAL

Prince Charles will reportedly be absent from Princess Diana’s statue unveiling. (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

MEGHAN MARKLE DROPS HRH TITLE, PRINCE HARRY KEEPS HIS ON LILIBET DIANA’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE

Charles, 72, was also noticeably absent from commemorative events paying tribute to Diana on the 20th anniversary of her death, instead, spending the time with his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall in the royal family’s home in Scotland.

The statue was commissioned by William, 39, and Harry, 36, back in 2017 and was set to be presented in 2020, however, the coronavirus pandemic put plans on hold. Now, the event to “recognize [Diana’s] positive impact in the United Kingdom and around the world” will take place officially on July 1 – the day on which Diana would have turned 60.

PRINCE WILLIAM, PRINCE HARRY ALLEGEDLY ARGUED AT PRINCE PHILIP’S FUNERAL: ‘NO RECONCILIATION’

The statue was sculpted by artist Ian Rank-Broadley and for its unveiling, Diana’s siblings, Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Charles Spencer, will be in attendance as will William and Harry, members of the statue committee and garden designer Pip Morrison.

The unveiling will mark the first time Harry will reunite with his family in his home country since the funeral of his grandfather, Prince Philip, in April.

A rep for Kensington Palace did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.

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Entertainment

Dolly Parton rejects proposed statue of her at Tennessee Capitol: “I don’t think putting me on a pedestal is appropriate at this time”

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Dolly Parton has turned down yet another accolade offered to her — this time, from her home state of Tennessee. In a statement, Parton said she asked lawmakers not to consider a bill that would allow a statue of her to be built on the grounds of the state’s Capitol. This comes just weeks after the country superstar revealed that she turned down the Presidential Medal of Freedom, twice.

“I want to thank the Tennessee legislature for their consideration of a bill to erect a statue of me on the Capitol grounds,” Parton’s statement, shared on her social media pages, reads. “I am honored and humbled by their intention but I have asked the leaders of the state legislature to remove the bill from any and all consideration.”

The bill, introduced by State Representative John Mark Windle, was passed by a state House committee February 9. However, if Parton has her way, it won’t go any further.

“Given all that is going on in the world, I don’t think putting me on a pedestal is appropriate at this time,” Parton’s statement continued. “I hope, though, that somewhere down the road several years from now or perhaps after I’m gone if you still feel I deserve it, then I’m certain I will stand proud in our great State Capitol as a grateful Tennessean.”

The bill’s introduction comes after an online petition was created last year to urge the Tennessee State House to replace Confederate statues in the state with statues of Parton. “Aside from her beautiful music, which has touched the hearts and lives of millions of Americans, Dolly Parton’s philanthropic heart has unquestionably changed the world for the better,” the petition reads.

Parton created The Dollywood Foundation in 1988, which focuses on literacy and education in her home county of Sevier County, Tennessee. And her giving has recently gone global. In November, it was revealed that she helped fund research for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Moderna.

The music icon and philanthropist made a $1 million contribution toward coronavirus research efforts at Vanderbilt University in April.

While Parton has done a lot for her home state — and the world — she has remained humble and has turned down accolades for her work. 

During an interview with NBC’s “Today” earlier this month, Parton revealed she was offered the Presidential Medial of Freedom by the Trump administration twice. “I couldn’t accept it because my husband was ill. Then they asked me again about it and I wouldn’t travel because of the COVID.” 

“Now I feel like if I take it, I’ll be doing politics, so I’m not sure,” she said, adding that she’s not even sure if she deserves it. 

Parton concluded her statement about the Tennessee statue by saying she will “continue to try to do good work to make this great state proud.” 



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Entertainment

Dolly Parton rejects proposed statue of her at Tennessee Capitol: “I don’t think putting me on a pedestal is appropriate at this time”

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Dolly Parton has turned down yet another accolade offered to her — this time, from her home state of Tennessee. In a statement, Parton said she asked lawmakers not to consider a bill that would allow a statue of her to be built on the grounds of the state’s Capitol. This comes just weeks after the country superstar revealed that she turned down the Presidential Medal of Freedom, twice.

“I want to thank the Tennessee legislature for their consideration of a bill to erect a statue of me on the Capitol grounds,” Parton’s statement, shared on her social media pages, reads. “I am honored and humbled by their intention but I have asked the leaders of the state legislature to remove the bill from any and all consideration.”

The bill, introduced by State Representative John Mark Windle, was passed by a state House committee February 9. However, if Parton has her way, it won’t go any further.

“Given all that is going on in the world, I don’t think putting me on a pedestal is appropriate at this time,” Parton’s statement continued. “I hope, though, that somewhere down the road several years from now or perhaps after I’m gone if you still feel I deserve it, then I’m certain I will stand proud in our great State Capitol as a grateful Tennessean.”

The bill’s introduction comes after an online petition was created last year to urge the Tennessee State House to replace Confederate statues in the state with statues of Parton. “Aside from her beautiful music, which has touched the hearts and lives of millions of Americans, Dolly Parton’s philanthropic heart has unquestionably changed the world for the better,” the petition reads.

Parton created The Dollywood Foundation in 1988, which focuses on literacy and education in her home county of Sevier County, Tennessee. And her giving has recently gone global. In November, it was revealed that she helped fund research for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Moderna.

The music icon and philanthropist made a $1 million contribution toward coronavirus research efforts at Vanderbilt University in April.

While Parton has done a lot for her home state — and the world — she has remained humble and has turned down accolades for her work. 

During an interview with NBC’s “Today” earlier this month, Parton revealed she was offered the Presidential Medial of Freedom by the Trump administration twice. “I couldn’t accept it because my husband was ill. Then they asked me again about it and I wouldn’t travel because of the COVID.” 

“Now I feel like if I take it, I’ll be doing politics, so I’m not sure,” she said, adding that she’s not even sure if she deserves it. 

Parton concluded her statement about the Tennessee statue by saying she will “continue to try to do good work to make this great state proud.” 



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Entertainment

Dolly Parton tells Tennessee lawmakers to stop trying to build a statue of her

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Dolly Parton on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

NBCU

Country music icon Dolly Parton said Thursday she has asked Tennessee legislators to pull their bill to erect a statue of her on the state’s capitol grounds in Nashville.

“Given all that is going on in the world, I don’t think putting me on a pedestal is appropriate at this time,” Parton said on Twitter.

Parton, 75, added that she’s open to being honored with a statue in Music City “somewhere down the road several years from now or perhaps after I’m gone if you still feel I deserve it.”

“In the meantime, I’ll continue to try to do good work to make this great state proud,” her statement said.

A life-size statue of the nine-time Grammy winner already stands on display in Sevierville, Tennessee, which is Parton’s hometown.

Statues in recent years have been at the center of volatile and divisive political debates about which Americans ought to be honored in the public square, and whether statues of figures with racist or otherwise controversial pasts should be torn down.

But the bill to immortalize Parton in Nashville, proposed by Democratic State Rep. John Mark Windle, received broad bipartisan support from the heavily Republican-leaning Tennessee General Assembly.

Windle in a recent interview with the Chattanooga Times Free Press said he was “shocked” by the response his bill generated.

Tennesseans “love Dolly Parton, not just because she’s a great musician,” Windle said. “She’s a caring, compassionate and just a decent person. She takes care of her community, she takes care of her state. And she does it selflessly.”

Parton has a strong history of philanthropy in the state and beyond. Her “Imagination Library” program, started in 1995, mails free books to children every month.

After the 2016 Tennessee wildfires destroyed numerous homes, Parton pledged to donate $1,000 a month to each family left without a place to live for six months.

Last April, Parton donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to aid in its efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic, including Moderna’s vaccine trial.

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Entertainment

Dolly Parton asks Tennessee legislators to remove bill to erect statue of her on Capitol grounds

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Dolly Parton has asked Tennessee legislators to not move forward with installing a statue in her honor on state Capitol grounds. 

The country music legend posted a new message Thursday on Twitter asking her home state to stop the proposed bill even though she is “honored and humbled” by the gesture.

“I want to thank the Tennessee legislature for their consideration of a bill to erect a statue of me on the Capitol grounds. I am honored and humbled by their intention but I have asked the leaders of the state legislature to remove the bill from any and all consideration,” her statement reads.

“Given all that is going on in the world, I don’t think putting me on a pedestal is appropriate at this time. I hope, though, that somewhere down the road several years from now or perhaps after I’m gone if you still feel I deserve it, then I’m certain I will stand proud in our great State Capitol as a grateful Tennessean,” Parton concluded. 

DOLLY PARTON STATUE PROPOSED ON TENNESSEE CAPITOL GROUNDS

State Rep. John Windle (D-Livingston) proposed such a statue on the property to recognize all the country icon’s contributions to the state and a House committee passed the bill on Feb. 9.

In June, an online petition was filed suggesting that a statue of Parton, 75, replace those dedicated to Confederate officers.

DOLLY PARTON’S FAITH COMPELLED HER COVID-19 RESEARCH DONATION, WON’T JUMP THE LINE TO GET VACCINE

“Tennessee is littered with statues memorializing confederate officers,”  the petition reads. “History should not be forgotten, but we need not glamorize those who do not deserve our praise. Instead, let us honor a true Tennessee hero, Dolly Parton.”

The petition cited her music, Parton’s Dollywood Foundation, philanthropy as reasons for her potential recognition.

Fans wanted a statue of Dolly Parton on state Capitol grounds because of her contributions to philanthropy and music over her decades-long career. 
(Wade Payne/Invision/AP, File)

“Let’s replace the statues of men who sought to tear this country apart with a monument to the woman who has worked her entire life to bring us closer together,” the petition reads.

DOLLY PARTON TWICE DECLINED THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM: REPORT

Recently, the “9 to 5” singer has been praised publicly for her $1 million donation to Vanderbilt University’s coronavirus research, which helped Moderna develop a vaccine that they’ve said is nearly 95% effective, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.

Fans took to Twitter in November 2020 to thank her, jokingly crediting her with “saving the world” with her donation.

Parton later spoke to “Today” about the vaccine and the role she’s credited with playing in its development.

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“I’m just happy that anything I do can help somebody else,” she said. “When I donated the money to the COVID[-19] fund I just wanted it to do good and evidently, it is! Let’s just hope we can find a cure real soon.”

Fox News’ Nate Day contributed to this report.



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World

Groups gather at Davis park after Gandhi statue vandalized, removed

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Two groups gathered in Davis on Sunday after the Mahatma Gandhi statue was vandalized this past week.One group gathered to express its sadness for the destruction of the statue in Davis’ Central Park. The government of India gifted the statue to the city of Davis five years ago.The group is asking city council to restore it. “There are many thousands of Indian Americans here in the Central Valley, and we’re all very saddened that this has happened, and we hope for restoration, we hope for justice, we hope the ideal of peace on Earth and nonviolence Gandhi stood for prevails,” said Easan Katir with the Hindu American Foundation.He is also calling for more security at the park is the statue is placed back to help prevent and deter future vandalism.Another group also gathered at the park, and they said they were glad the statue had been removed. They blame Gandhi for some of the problems that surfaced when Pakistan and India were partitioned. “They are angry that the statue has been desecrated, they should not have put the statue in the first place. Why did they put it over here? Does the city of Davis deserve this statue? No,” said Nanak Bhatti with the Organization of Minorities in India. The destruction of the statue is still under investigation.

DAVIS, Calif. —

Two groups gathered in Davis on Sunday after the Mahatma Gandhi statue was vandalized this past week.

One group gathered to express its sadness for the destruction of the statue in Davis’ Central Park. The government of India gifted the statue to the city of Davis five years ago.

The group is asking city council to restore it.

“There are many thousands of Indian Americans here in the Central Valley, and we’re all very saddened that this has happened, and we hope for restoration, we hope for justice, we hope the ideal of peace on Earth and nonviolence Gandhi stood for prevails,” said Easan Katir with the Hindu American Foundation.

He is also calling for more security at the park is the statue is placed back to help prevent and deter future vandalism.

Another group also gathered at the park, and they said they were glad the statue had been removed. They blame Gandhi for some of the problems that surfaced when Pakistan and India were partitioned.

“They are angry that the statue has been desecrated, they should not have put the statue in the first place. Why did they put it over here? Does the city of Davis deserve this statue? No,” said Nanak Bhatti with the Organization of Minorities in India.

The destruction of the statue is still under investigation.

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