Is the end of the royal dispute nearing? Prince Harry and William plan a “private meeting” after the statue of their mother Diana is unveiled.
London – Diana, the “Princess of Hearts”, would have turned 60 on July 1st of this year. In memory of their mother, who died in Paris, Prince William and Harry have commissioned a statue together. William, Duke of Cambridge and his brother Harry, Duke of Sussex, will stand side by side for the unveiling of the monument on Thursday (07/01/2021), at least that’s what the plan says. But the harmony of the grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II should only be accessories.
The relationship between the princes is still considered extremely strained. The differences began in March 2019 when William kicked his brother Harry and his wife Meghan out of Kensington Palace for allegedly bullying employees. This is what various British gossip papers claim and it is the dominant royal theme on the island. Since then, hardly a day has passed without new allegations against the Sussex couple. Meghan and Harry broke with their royal duties a good year ago and emigrated to Meghan’s homeland, California, with their son Archie.
Harry and Meghan: living in the “royal cage”
Several times in the past few weeks, Harry and Meghan complained loudly about their time in London, about “life in the royal cage”, criticized Prince Charles – and thus indirectly also grandmother Elizabeth. The queen is also at the center of the latest fuss. It has recently been rumored that Harry and Meghan only informed the Queen and did not ask for permission that their newborn daughter would be called Lilibet – after the queen’s nickname within the family. Against this portrayal, the Sussex couple strongly resisted. Open ended, to be continued for sure.
But now everything should get better. As a sign that William and Harry might be ready to settle their differences, a “private meeting” should be planned after the unveiling of the statue of Diana, according to the Daily Telegraph. Many Britons are likely to want such a reconciliation talk. For them the accidental death of Diana, the “Queen of Hearts”, in the Paris road tunnel is still traumatic. Diana was then on the run from paparazzi. Because of her divorce from Charles, she no longer had any government bodyguards at her side, she was a private person.
Statue of Diana: image of the “Queen of Hearts”
Thursday’s ceremony in the gardens of Kensington Palace – where Diana lived and now resides for William and his family – will be an event closed to the public. William and Harry, Diana’s close family and the sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley are said to be among the few in attendance.
The brothers, who last met in person at Prince Philip’s funeral, are said to have spent weeks trying to find a suitable location for the memorial. No details about the statue were released in advance, but it is reported that it is said to reflect “Diana’s youthful and playful character.” However, it remains to be seen whether there will be a clarifying discussion among the brothers. (Stefan Krieger / dpa)
Headline list image: © Victoria Jones / dpa
