The unveiling of Princess Diana’s statue commemorating what would have been her 60th birthday will be taking place on Thursday, but several members of the British Royal Family have no plans to attend. Though Prince William and Prince Harry will be there, their wives will be absent. Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, are also expected to miss the event for a very good reason.
Who’s Not Coming To The Ceremony
Quite a few members of the royal family won’t be attending the unveiling of the late Princess Diana’s statue on July 1. Part of the reason for the sparser than expected crowd are restrictions on large gathering put in effect by the British government to help stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus pandemic. Naturally, Princess Diana’s sons made the cut on the exclusive guest list. Prince Harry has already flown in from California for the ceremony, but his wife, Meghan Markle, remained at the couple’s Montecito home with their two children. Prince William’s wife, Kate Middleton, is also expected to miss the ceremony.
The official reason for Middleton’s absence claims that since Prince Harry’s wife can’t make it, it would look uneven to have Prince William’s wife come. The optics would look a bit awkward, especially as the tension between Prince William and his younger brother have been exacerbated in recent months after Prince Harry shared his experiences growing up as a royal.
To have Prince Harry stand up on his own while Prince William has his wife to stand with him would visibly confirm the royal rift between brothers. Since the royal family has been on a PR offensive in the months since Prince Harry and Markle’s bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview, it’s unsurprising that they would take pains to make sure things look even between the royal brothers. A source, however, has challenged this official line of reasoning, telling Page Six, “Catherine’s absence speaks volumes.”
“I think keeping the numbers down is a perfect ‘excuse’ for Catherine to stay away,” the source continued, adding, “William is determined that the Sussex drama does not overshadow this important moment of remembrance to his much-missed mother and is keeping that as his focus.”
Prince Charles Reportedly Wants To Avoid ‘Old Wounds’
In addition to Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles are also expected to bow out of the ceremony for an obvious, and awkward, reason. Parker Bowles and Prince Charles infamously carried on an affair while he was married to Princess Diana, which was a major reason why the two divorced. In order to avoid unpleasant memories which might dampen the meaningful celebration of Princess Diana’s life, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall will not be present.
An insider told The Times UK, “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.” Considering the backlash Prince Charles and Parker Bowles faced after The Crown covered the not-so secret affair last year, it’s probably for the best that the two steer clear of the event entirely so as not to overshadow it.
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