Kate Middleton’s absence from Princess Diana’s memorial launch Thursday will be “telling on so many levels,” according to family sources.
Prince William’s wife is missing out on the unveiling of a statue to mark what would have been Diana’s 60th birthday after the guest list was slashed.
And while it was expected that Kate would be on hand to broker peace between William and his brother, Prince Harry, a source told Page Six: “Catherine’s absence speaks volumes.”
“I think keeping the numbers down is a perfect ‘excuse’ for Catherine to stay away. William is fed up with the drama and Catherine doesn’t need to be dragged into this.
“They are planning a private family visit with their children, and that private moment is far more important than the public rhetoric.”
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The source added, “William is determined that the Sussex drama does not overshadow this important moment of remembrance to his much-missed mother and is keeping that as his focus.”
Last week it was reported that invitations to the unveiling at Kensington Palace had already been drastically scaled back in recent days from the 100-plus guests originally planned due to COVID-19-related rules.
Prince Charles, Diana’s ex-husband, will also reportedly be absent from the event, as “old wounds” could be resurfaced.
“It brings back memories for him; happy, sad, regretful,” an insider told the UK Times. “Since Diana’s death, he has felt it’s best to keep those memories to himself and leave his sons to it.”
The palace confirmed that William, 39, and Harry, 36, will now be joined only by Diana’s close family, the statue committee, the sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley and garden designer Pip Morrison — as Camilla Tominey of the UK Telegraph also said there were concerns inside the palace that Harry would be “outflanked” if the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge both turned up.