Why William And Harry Definitely Won't Be Together On The Anniversary Of Diana's Death
It seems nearly impossible to imagine now, but there was a time when Prince William and Prince Harry issued joint statements. In January of 2017, the Duke of Cambridge and his younger brother announced how they would commemorate the death of their beloved mother, Princess Diana, on the 20th anniversary of her tragic accident. The statement was shared via Twitter, saying in part about the Princess of Wales, "the time is right to recognize her positive impact in the U.K. and around the world with a permanent statue. Our mother touched so many lives. We hope the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on her life and her legacy" (via Vogue).
The statue was later installed to mark what would have been Diana's 60th birthday in July of 2021, with the brothers unveiling the long-anticipated tribute to their mom together (via BBC). But by then, Harry had married Meghan Markle and moved to Montecito, California, saying goodbye to his official role within the royal family. Needless to say, tensions between William and the Duke of Sussex were running high, with a source reportedly saying the future king of England didn't even want to attend the ceremony following that interview his brother gave to Oprah Winfrey (via InStyle).
Now, as the 25th anniversary of Diana's death is upon us, how the two princes will mark the occasion looks very different than it did just five years ago.
Prince William and Prince Harry are done marking this sad milestone together
Even though Prince William and Prince Harry spent the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana's death together at the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, with Kate Middleton also in attendance, this year, on the 25th anniversary of the sad milestone, the brothers will be an ocean apart (via Town & Country).
The Telegraph reports that the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex, once very close, will no longer mark their mother's death together in public.
As for how the Princess of Wales' sons plan to spend the day on August 31st, the outlet notes they will each be with their own families, with William in England and Harry in the U.S. Diana's oldest son, the Duchess of Cambridge and their three kids just came back from a visit to Balmoral where the Queen is summering and are in the process of moving into their fourth home, Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, which incidentally has angered some people due to the so-called cost of living crisis in the country.
Meanwhile, Harry is in California with the Duchess of Sussex and their two children, and is expected to mourn for his mom in private. They fly for the U.K. just after Labor Day.
It's worth mentioning that the lack of plans to honor Diana on behalf of the monarch and the Princess of Wales' ex-husband Prince Charles has some royal followers raising their eyebrows.