The Reason Meghan Markle Won't Be Attending The Unveiling Of The Late Princess Diana's Statue

Jun 18, 2021 by apost team

With the birth of Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor on June 4, royal fans are already wondering when the newborn will make her public debut. The world is already captivated by the newborn, and the royal family has released a statement about their delight at welcoming the newest member of the family. 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been quite private about their lives since their move to the United States in March 2020. In fact, leading up to their second child's birth, Markle has been relatively private, staying out of the public eye, while the couple didn't even reveal their daughter's due date publicly.

The duchess also decided not to have a baby shower. According to US Weekly, Meghan didn't feel such a celebration would be appropriate amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It's unclear when the world will get a proper glimpse of the infant, but it has become clear that it won't be in the coming weeks when Prince Harry travels to the United Kingdom in order to unveil a statue in honor of his late mother, Princess Diana.

Set to be unveiled on July 1 — which is Diana's birthday — sources have recently told Harper's Bazaar and Entertainment Tonight that since she's just given birth, Markle has no plans to travel to the U.K. for the ceremony.

It's a pity the timing didn't coincide better, as Lilibet is named after Harry's late mother. But considering it would be less than one month since Markle gave birth, it also makes perfect sense that she would stay home with the kids in Montecito, while Harry goes alone. 

The statue for Princess Diana has been in the works since 2017 when Prince William and Prince Harry commissioned a work to be dedicated to their late mother. As reported by the BBC, a statement by the two brothers that was released at the time said:

"It has been 20 years since our mother's death and the time is right to recognise her positive impact in the UK and around the world with a permanent statue."

It continued:

"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."

Delayed due to the pandemic, the official unveiling is now set for July 1, which would have been Diana's 60th birthday. It will be situated at the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, a spot that is said to have been Diana's favorite on the grounds. The BBC reports that the statue had been a long time coming, considering Diana was the wife of a future king — Prince Charles — and the mother of another — Prince William. The main memorial to the late princess has until now been a fountain in Hyde Park in London.

The official unveiling of the statue on July 1 will be Prince Harry's first time seeing his family since Prince Philip's funeral in mid-April. An official "Sussex source" revealed to Harper's Bazaar that Meghan Markle won't be flying to the U.K. for the event and will focus on caring for the couple's infant daughter at their Montecito home instead. 

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The same news was confirmed by another source to Entertainment Tonight, who stated:

"Meghan has just had a baby and has no plans to travel to London for the memorial event planned for the statue unveiling in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace."

It's a pity that Markle won't be making the trip with Archie and Lilibet, but although she won't be able to travel to the U.K. to honor her late mother-in-law Diana, she and Harry have already paid tribute to her by naming their first daughter in her honor. Named Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, the Sussexes revealed the meaning behind their daughter's name in a statement when they announced her birth:

"Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales."

Despite the Sussexes' estrangement with the rest of the royal family, when it comes to newborn members of the monarchy, it seems there is no animosity. While appearing with Jill Biden at an engagement at the G-7 Summit in Cornwall, England, Kate Middleton was asked about her new niece. According to Harper's Bazaar, the duchess of Cambridge responded:

"I can't wait to meet her. We haven't met her yet. I hope that will be soon."

Unfortunately, it won't be as soon as July 1, but we're sure it won't be too long before young Lilibet makes the trip over the pond to visit her royal family, especially her namesake, the queen.  

What do you think about Meghan Markle not attending the unveiling of the statue in honor of Princess Diana? If you found this interesting, pass it on so others can find out about it too.