KATE Middleton may be off the guest list when a statue of Princess Diana is unveiled next week – meaning William and Harry could be meeting without the ‘peacemaker’.
The Duchess of Cambridge may remain home for the ceremony after Palace officials said the princes will now only be joined by Diana’s close family.
– Read our Meghan and Harry live blog for the latest updates
Invitations had already been drastically scaled back in recent days from the 100-plus guests originally planned, due to Covid rules.
Harry has returned to the UK for the event, which will take place in Kensington Palace’s Sunken Garden on July 1 – the date of Diana’s 60th birthday.
But it’s emerged his sister-in-law may not greet him as a result of the guest list changes, the Daily Mail reports.
It comes as:
- The Queen was spotted driving towards Frogmore Cottage after her grandson touched down at Heathrow
- A royal expert claims Meghan and Harry ‘want money for doing very little in return’
- Harry and William have been forced to slash the guest list for the unveiling of a new statue to commemorate their mother
- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been slammed by Dumbarton locals – after rejecting it for Archie over the word ‘dumb’
- And the couple say they weren’t being misleading when they told Oprah they’d been ‘cut off’ by the Royal Family after Megxit
It will be the first time William and Harry have met face-to-face since their reunion at Prince Philip’s funeral in April.
Following the service, the brothers were seen chatting with Kate as they walked towards Windsor Castle.
William has previously referred to his wife as a “peacemaker” – and she was seen stepping back to allow he and Harry to speak privately.
And while millions had hoped the talks signalled a reconciliation, a royal author has now claimed the pair rowed the second they were out of sight of the press.
Robert Lacey – the author of explosive book Battle of Brothers, which looks into the feud between the pair – claims a pal told him: “There they were, at each other’s throats as fiercely as ever.
“The rage and anger between those two has grown so incredibly deep. Too many harsh and wounding things have been said.”
Now, it’s claimed Thursday’s event may serve to deepen the differences between the men – after plans by Kensington Palace to invite a range of UK media organisations were reportedly scuppered by Harry.
The Duke’s team allegedly “kicked off” – and a source says he insisted he’d only take part if there was just one agency reporter, one photographer and one cameraman present.
This has reportedly been agreed to by the Palace.
Harry is now back in the UK and has started five days of self-isolation at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.
Meghan has remained at the couple’s LA home after they welcomed their baby daughter Lilibet Diana earlier this month.
Kate’s potential absence may well come as a blow to both brothers.
Harry is known to have been deeply fond of his sister-in-law before tensions between the Sussex and Cambridge households took over.
Royal biographer Ingrid Seward revealed the Duke believed Kate was the “big sister he’d never had”.
Kate, for her part, enjoyed a great friendship with her brother-in-law that deepened when she had children with William.
Harry was a frequent guest at the couple’s home and much-loved by his niece and nephews.
Seeming rifts between William, Kate and Harry began when Wills allegedly warned his younger brother against moving too fast with Meghan Markle.
According to biography Finding Freedom, William said: “Don’t feel you need to rush this.
“Take as much as time as you need to get to know this girl.”
The book’s authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand said the phrase “this girl” immediately irritated Harry, who was “p***ed off” that his brother “would ask such a thing”.
And the situation reportedly worsened drastically when Jason Knauf, who worked in communications for both the Cambridges and the Sussexes, submitted an official email in October 2018 alleging Meghan Markle had bullied staff.
Meghan fiercely denies the claims – and a spokesperson for her and Harry said she was the victim of a calculated smear campaign.
However William was said to be furious at the allegations – and reportedly referred to Meghan as “that bloody woman” in chats to friends.
It’s also claimed even Harry’s friends admit the Duchess “can be a 500 per cent nightmare”.
