Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not be among the list of attendees at this week’s Kensington Palace event honoring the late Princess Diana. The royal couple, who currently reside in California with their two children, Archie and Lilibet, are set to remain at home as a roster of guests, including Sir Elton John, Diana’s longtime friend, and members of the Spencer family, among others, join together for the party.
To be hosted by Prince William, the party was originally scheduled to take place in July when Harry traveled across the pond and joined his brother for a statue unveiling to commemorate their late mother’s 60th birthday. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the event had to be scaled back, and the private get-together, which will celebrate donors who helped fund the statue, was ultimately postponed. Now, a source confirmed to Entertainment Tonight that “there are no plans for [Harry and Meghan] to be in the U.K. for the private donor event.” It is unclear if the couple has other obligations that conflict with the get together. A separate source told Us Weekly that while the couple will not be in attendance, “Harry is personally connecting with donors regarding the event.”
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In a joint statement when the two royal brothers unveiled the statue, placed in the Sunken Gardens and depicting Diana as “the people’s princess” surrounded by children, William and Harry said, “Today, on what would have been our Mother’s 60th birthday, we remember her love, strength and character – qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better.” Reflecting on their mother’s loss, they added that “every day, we wish she were still with us.” With the unveiling of the statue, the brothers said they hope the statue “will be seen forever as a symbol of her life and her legacy.” They ended the statement by thanking the team who helped bring the statue to life and “keep our mother’s memory alive.”
Harry and William originally commissioned the statue in 2017 to mark the 20th anniversary of their mother’s death in a 1997 car crash. The statue was to “recognize her positive impact in the United Kingdom and around the world.” The ongoing pandemic delayed the unveiling, with Harry eventually making his way back to the U.K. in early July. Markle did not join him, as she remained at home with their two children. She has not traveled back to the U.K. since she and Harry announced their decision to step back as working royals in January 2020, with the couple officially retiring from their positions in February of this year.
