Prince Harry ‘demands Meghan Markle be part’ of Diana statue unveiling ceremony or he won’t come, say insiders
On July 1, which is Lady Diana’s birthday, the royal family will commemorate the 20th death anniversary of her by installing a statue of her. Prince Harry reportedly wanted his wife, Meghan Markle, to be invited to the event, otherwise, he also intended on ditching it. According to reports, the Duke of Sussex is expected to be in the UK on July 1 to unveil the statue in his mother’s memory in the Sunken Garden of Kensington Palace.
In 2017, he along with Prince William announced they “hope the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on her life and her legacy.” However, insiders recently told gossip website Radar: “Harry is demanding the Meghan be part of the official ceremony. She will not be able to attend in person because of the couple's second child, but Harry is pushing to have comments prepared by Meghan included in the event or a video message featuring his wife released to the media the same day the brothers unveil the statue.”
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The sources also added that if the former actress won’t be allowed to participate in the event, Harry’s family back in Britain thinks he could do the “unthinkable” and not attend. “It is very possible that Harry does not return to the UK for the event. The cold shoulder Harry received at Prince Philip's funeral is not helping. Harry was rattled not only by his family’s reaction but also by the negative media coverage he received during his short stay. Now he may bow out of the upcoming trip altogether,” the insiders mentioned.
On the other hand, a friend said of the statue, “The design on the statue was signed off by William and Harry. And even after Harry left the UK he was kept up to date on the progress and received photos of the work taking place. What is happening now would break Diana’s heart. Diana loved spending time in the gardens at Kensington Palace. It was her refuge and sanctuary. She would cut flowers from the garden for her desk. Her two boys picked the perfect place for the statue, now let’s hope they BOTH are there when it is unveiled.”
Earlier, when Harry and the Duke of Cambridge made the announcement about the statue honoring their mother, they said in a joint statement: “It has been 20 years since our mother’s death and the time is right to recognize her positive impact in the UK and around the world with a permanent statue. Our mother touched so many lives. We hope the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on her life and her legacy.”
Harry and Meghan left the UK for the US in 2020 to start a new independent life there. They signed huge deals with big players like Spotify and Netflix to make a living. However, in April when Prince Philip died, Harry went back to his home country for the funeral. The ‘Suits’ actress could not accompany him since she is pregnant with their second child.