William and Harry 'may not present united front' at Diana's statue unveiling, will give separate speeches: Source
While the unveiling of Princess Diana's memorial statue was being touted as the big reunion of the estranged brothers Prince William and Prince Harry, a royal source has recently mentioned that the royal siblings 'have insisted' on giving separate speeches, pointing to the fact that tension between them is showing no signs of slowing down.
Harry, who along with his wife Meghan Markle recently celebrated their son Archie's second birthday, is next expected to fly to the United Kingdom from California, this summer for the unveiling of a statue of his late mother who was killed in a tragic car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997. Especially in the aftermath of Harry and Meghan Markle's explosive two-hour CBS interview with Oprah Winfrey back in March, in which the couple painted the royal family in negative light, fans had hoped that the brothers would keep their differences aside to reunite for the unveiling of the statue.
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However, a source told The Sun there was a concern that William and Harry "may not present a united front," saying, "You might have thought they’d go for a joint statement and speech but that’s not the case. Each has insisted on preparing their own. It is a big concern that their body language will suggest all is not well and they won’t present a united front."
The statue was commissioned to mark the twentieth anniversary of Diana's death, in an effort to commemorate the People's Princess's positive impact in the United Kingdom and around the world. The statue in question will be instated in the Sunken Garden of Kensington Palace on July 1, 2021, on Diana's 60th birthday.
Will Harry find an excuse to skip the unveiling of Diana's statue?
Some experts have even wondered if Harry would come up with an excuse not to visit the UK for the unveiling. Speaking to talkRadio, royal expert Russell Myers said: "Some quarters of the family did give him a frosty reception and perhaps that did shock him somewhat." One such excuse that Harry might use is the impending birth of his daughter. Meghan is scheduled to deliver her second child with the duke in the summer, and it could prove as a "convenient excuse" not to "face the family." Her pregnancy was the reason that was given by the palace behind Meghan not flying overseas to attend Prince Philip's funeral last month.
Radio host Kevin O'Sullivan observed that Harry looked "very out of sorts" during his stay for the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral. "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 replied: "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 make a flying visit. But, will it be a convenient excuse so he doesn't have to come back and face the family? 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."