The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not attend a celebration to thank donors who helped fund the statue of Diana, Princess of Wales, which will be on display on her 60th birthday.
The disappearance of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from the Kensington Palace event has been confirmed by a Sussex spokesperson.
The party, which was originally scheduled for July 1 and now takes place on October 19, will see about 100 of Diana’s friends, former employees and Spencer’s family join the Duke of Cambridge in celebrating the memorial statue.
Harry flew to England from his home in California to display his mother’s statue with Prince William in July, while Meghan, who gave birth to the couple’s daughter four weeks ago, remained in the rear.
The reveal of the statue was notorious due to the pandemic, and only William and Harry discovered the monument in front of their mother’s siblings, Earl Spencer, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes.
The date marked what was the 60th birthday of the Princess of Wales, who died at the age of 36 on August 1
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Despite reports of a “strained” relationship between William and Harry, the brothers were photographed standing side by side and laughing at each other. Harry flew home the next day.
The celebration of the festival will be attended by Sir Elton John, among other friends of Princess Diana.
Read more: The “Festival of Freedom” brings together the “doomsday” church, Steve Bannon and the NRA in Pennsylvania.
It is unknown why the Sussexes will not attend the event or if they will return to Great Britain in the future. Meghan was last in the UK in March 2020, when she attended a Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey.
The couple’s son Archie Mountbatten Windsor has not returned to the UK since late 2019, and their daughter Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor has not met any other members of the royal family in person.
Harry is also not expected to travel to Britain for Remembrance Sunday on November 14, as he is scheduled to arrive in New York on November 10 to present the upcoming Intrepid Awards of Valor to military veterans and their families there.
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