Prince Harry is going to reunite with his older brother Prince William for the unveiling of Princess Diana’s statue on Thursday after he flew to the United Kingdom last week, leaving his wife Meghan and two children behind in California.
The unveiling ceremony, which will mark what would have been Diana’s 60th birthday on the 1st of July, will take place at the Sunken Garden in Kensington Palace.
Royal sources spoke of a “small and a very personal” upcoming event; not many people are expected to join the ceremony due to COVID restrictions.
Apart from the two brothers, the occasion will be overseen by members of the committee that was tasked with commissioning the statue’s creation, which included Diana’s sister Lady Sarah McCorquodale, the late princess’ friend Julia Samuel, as well as Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, who was Harry’s and William’s principal private secretary.
Sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley, who designed the statue, which was first commissioned by the brothers in 2017, will also be among the attendees.
The Sunken Garden, which was described as one of Diana’s favourite locations, was specifically redesigned for the event with over 4,000 flowers planted to honour the late princess’ memory, including her favourite forget-me-nots.
The event will be overseen by Diana’s immediate family members, but neither the Queen, Prince Charles nor William’s wife Kate Middleton is expected to join.
Kate’s absence has been linked to reported fears that Harry might feel “outflanked” by the crowd of British relatives after he had failed to bring his wife and son Archie to the UK. Meghan, who just gave birth to her second child Lilibet Diana, stayed in the US to take care of the couple’s kids.
How Things Are Going Between the Two Brothers
William and Harry have not been on good terms lately, according to royal biographer Robert Lacey, the author of the bombshell book “Battle of Brothers”.
The two have reportedly quarrelled after William had warned his younger brother not to rush into the decision to marry Hollywood actress Markle.
As the Sussexes ditched their senior royal duties last year and relocated to the United States, the brotherly relationship sank even further as Harry has continued to attack the family in the American media.
As such, he described his brother and father Charles as being “trapped” in the royal institution in his and Meghan’s bombshell sit-down with Oprah Winfrey aired in March.