Prince Harry shocked by 'frosty reception' from family, may cancel next UK trip to unveil Diana statue in July
Harry was reportedly taken aback by the "very, very cold reception" he received from the royal family during his visit to the UK for Prince Philip’s funeral. And now, he may pull out of his upcoming trip back to the UK in July.
The Duke of Sussex was set to return to the UK for the unveiling of a statue of his late mother Princess Diana. It was reported earlier that despite serious tension between Harry and his brother William -- especially in the aftermath of the Sussexes’ tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey -- the brothers had put aside their differences to come together and work on the project.
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Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, had earlier signed off on a design from the sculptor, Ian Rank-Broadley. A source close to the sculptor said that Rank-Broadley “did work closely with the boys” on the design, and that “I think it will be incredible.”
However, Harry's July trip for the unveiling of the statue has now been called into question after the estranged royal was said to be "shocked" by the reception he received from the rest of his family. Several senior members of the royal family allegedly shunned the Duke of Sussex on his brief return to the UK for Prince Philip's funeral.
Russell Myers, the royal editor of the Daily Mirror, told talkRADIO, "Some quarters of the family did give him a frosty reception and perhaps that did shock him somewhat." He further speculated that Harry may use the birth of his second child in the summer as a "convenient excuse" not to turn up "and face the family".
Myers said that the controversial interview had sent shockwaves through the royal family, which "might not be good news for Harry".
Radio host Kevin O'Sullivan said, "Harry looked very out of sorts during his stay. I'm wondering whether he received a very, very cold reception? I read that some quarters of the royal family literally just blocked him and didn't even talk to him. I think he may have been a bit shocked by the cool reception he got from his family, which begs the question, will he come back for the unveiling of the Diana memorial with his brother in July? Or will he pull out of that?"
Myers said, "I'm told he is still committed to coming. Both camps are. Certainly, Kate and William will welcome him if he wants to come back. His intention is to come back. One may wonder, if his wife has just had a baby, I'm sure he could jump on a private jet and made a flying visit. But, will it be a convenient excuse so he doesn't have to come back and face the family?"
Myers added, "I think a lot will determine what happens in the interim period. Some quarters of the family did give him a frosty reception and perhaps that did shock him somewhat. I don't think we will realize the fallout of that Oprah Winfrey interview for some time. Maybe once we get back to a bit of normality, the rest of the family will start thinking about that a bit more carefully. It might not be good news for Harry."