The Duchess of Cambridge will not be present for this week’s memorial monument ceremony for Princess Diana in Kensington Palace’s Sunken Garden.
According to the Mirror, Duchess Kate’s absence is because of COVID-19 limitations; the event initially had a 100-person guest list, but had to be reduced in order to meet pandemic standards.
According to a royal insider, ‘This is a small event and a very personal moment for the family. Plans have been scaled back due to the current COVID-19 restrictions and media arrangements reflect both the size and tone of the event .
According to an official Buckingham Palace news release, only the two princes, close family members of the late Princess of Wales, members of the statue committee, the statue’s sculptor, Ian Rank-Broadley, and landscape designer Pip Morrison will be present for the unveiling. The honorary statue will be unveiled on July 1, which would have been Diana’s 60th birthday.
The statement made no mention of Kate’s presence at the event.
Many of Diana’s friends, who had wanted to reconcile the feuding brothers, may be disappointed by the Duchess of Cambridge’s absence.
Prince William is expected to pay a secret visit to the monument with his family before the event to ensure that Kate and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, can view it.
Harry is believed to be in quarantine, but he is also likely to arrange a private viewing before the formal ceremony.
Back in 2017, Prince William and Prince Harry revealed that they had commissioned the statue in memory of their late mother. They announced last year that the monument will be unveiled at Kensington Palace’s Sunken Garden on July 1, 2021, Princess Diana’s 60th birthday.
According to The Telegraph, it was delivered over the weekend and overlooks the Sunken Garden, but it is presently concealed until the unveiling later this week.
Harry had to travel to the United Kingdom, having moved to Santa Barbara, California, with his wife, Duchess Meghan. Meghan will be unable to attend the inauguration of the monument since she just gave birth to the couple’s second child earlier this month.
The Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex haven’t been on the greatest of terms in recent months, but they allegedly put their disagreements aside to collaborate on the statue, and signed off on the final design early this year. They’ll be giving separate speeches during the ceremony, and it’s possible they won’t even meet each other until the actual day. Duchess Kate has served as a “bridge” between the brothers and was expected to help alleviate tensions by attending the event alongside them.
The Duke of Sussex returned to Britain in April for Prince Philip’s burial at Windsor Castle. However, contrary to rumors at the time, it has been alleged that he, William, and Prince Charles did not meet to chat.
