Here's why Kate Middleton may have been 'un-invited' to Princess Diana statue unveiling
Earlier it was reported that Kate Middleton might play peacemaker between Prince William and Prince Harry at the statue unveiling of Princess Diana on what would have been her 60th birth anniversary. But now, there is news that the Duchess of Cambridge might not attend the ceremony at all on July 1.
According to Daily Mail, the Kensington Palace revealed last night that Kate might not be on the guest list which has been drastically scaled back due to Covid restrictions in the UK. Originally, a 100-plus guest list had been approved for the event. However, the palace said the princes will now be joined only by Diana's close family, the statue committee, the sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley and garden designer Pip Morrison. Although not confirmed yet, Kate's expected absence could mean that there would be no mediator to increase the chances of a reconciliation between the estranged brothers, who have not been on talking terms ever since the Duke of Sussex quit the monarchy last year.
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For the ceremony scheduled to take place on Thursday, July 1, in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, the princes will come together for the first time since their frosty reunion at the funeral of their grandfather Prince Philip in April. As a result, royal fans were hoping that William and Harry would use the emotional ceremony of Princess Diana's statue unveiling to heal their brotherly bond.
However, chances of a real reconciliation look slim as, apart from Kate's absence, there have been reports of behind-the-scenes disagreements regarding the ceremony, including a clash over the media coverage of the event. Since the event is sure to attract global interest, Kensington Palace wanted to invite a wide representation of UK media. But according to sources, Harry and his team 'kicked off' the plans. The Duke of Sussex has a well-known disdain for the British press and hence, insisted he would take part only if there was one agency reporter, one photographer, and one cameraman present. He also requested an 'international' cameraman. To the surprise of a number of insiders, the palace agreed to the changes demanded by Harry.
William and Harry fought after Prince Philip's funeral
Robert Lacey, the author of 'Battle Of Brothers,' revealed in the Daily Mail that Harry and William had a furious row shortly after Prince Philip's funeral. This was despite the fact that Kate had tried to act as peacemaker, talking to Harry as they walked out of St George's Chapel. Soon after the ceremony ended, the princes were quarreling again, within minutes of their conversation ending, Lacey says.
He quoted a source saying: "There they were – at each other's throats as fiercely as ever. The rage and anger between these two have grown so incredibly deep. Too many harsh and wounding things have been said." Lacey also revealed that William referred to Meghan Markle as "that bloody woman." However, heated conversations are expected to be kept at a bare minimum during Diana's statue unveiling as the brothers have told friends in private that they will ensure that their personal differences do not get in the way of the ceremony honoring their mother.
The life-size statue to Diana has been privately funded by donors including Sir Elton John and David Furnish. It was originally due to be unveiled in 2017. However, it took longer to complete, and with Harry and Meghan's wedding in 2018, and their move to the US, the unveiling kept getting postponed. The palace has decided to hold a much bigger ceremony for the original guest list at an undecided date in September.
