The late Princess Diana’s statue will be unveiled on Thursday, July 1, which would have been her 60th birthday. Her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, are expected to be present at the event. However, other members of the Royal Family opt to skip the occasion.
Prince William and Prince Harry unveil the Princess of Wales’ statue in Kensington Palace’s Sunken Gardens. The royal siblings reportedly planned this project since 2017, but unfortunately, not all members of the Firm will witness this moment.
Several members of the Royal Family won’t be attending the event – though there’s a reason behind it. First, it is expected that there would be a lesser crowd due to the restrictions implemented by the British government to avoid the spread of the COVID-19.
Prince William and Prince Harry cut down the guest list. The Duke of Sussex recently arrived in the United Kingdom and is currently self-isolating. His wife, Meghan Markle, wasn’t able to accompany him because she chose to stay in the United States to be with their two kids.
Meanwhile, the Duke of Cambridge’s wife, Kate Middleton, won’t be present at the event, as well. The major reason why she’s not attending is that Markle isn’t there to accompany Prince Harry. It is considered to be “uneven” to have her come to the unveiling.
Aside from their wives, Prince William and Prince Harry’s father, Prince Charles, along with second wife Camilla Parker Bowles, won’t be attending the event. The reason is said to be very simple: to avoid old wounds from being reopened.
In the past, it was speculated that the alleged affair of Prince Charles and Parker Bowles was the reason why Princess Diana divorced her then-husband. To avoid bringing back the issue during the significant celebration, the two decided not to come to the unveiling of the statue.
“These moments have the potential to resurface old wounds, and it brings back memories for him; happy, sad, regretful. Since Diana’s death, he has felt it’s best to keep those memories to himself and leave his sons to it,” a source revealed to The Times UK.
Meanwhile, since both Prince William and Prince Harry will be present, some were convinced that the brothers will heal the alleged rift between them. However, a royal commentator said that the siblings’ relationship has changed and not the same that it was once.
In a video for The Daily Telegraph, Camilla Tominey said the Duke of Cambridge and Duke of Sussex’s bond is “nowhere near” than where it was before. Hence, it is unlikely for both of them to heal the rift in the unveiling of Princess Diana’s statue.