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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not return to UK for party to honour Diana

The Duke of Sussex unveiled the statue of their late mother with Prince William in July

Danielle Stacey
Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
October 9, 2021
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A party to honour Diana, Princess of Wales is set to take place at Kensington Palace this month.

While the Duke of Cambridge is set to be joined by 100 guests for the bash a week on Tuesday, a spokesperson confirmed to HELLO! that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not be in attendance. 

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The royal brothers were reunited for the statue unveiling of their late mother in the gardens at Kensington Palace on 1 July, on what would have been the royal's 60th birthday. A reception with a larger group of family and friends was postponed due to COVID-19 regulations at the time.

diana statue kensington palace© Photo: Getty Images

The statue of Diana was unveiled on what would have been her 60th birthday

Instead, the Princes were joined by a handful of guests at the unveiling, including Diana's siblings, Earl Spencer, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes.

Close friend Sir Elton John will reportedly be among the guests at the event on 19 October. It is intended to thank donors who helped to fund the statue, which depicts Diana in the later years of her life and shows her surrounded by three children.

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prince harry statue unveiling© Photo: Getty Images

William and Harry were last reunited in July

Prince Harry and Meghan carried out their first major public outings last month since stepping back from royal duties in March. The couple, who welcomed daughter Lilibet in June, stepped out in New York for a three-day trip, where they campaigned for vaccine equity.

The Duke is also set to return to New York next month. Harry will be back on the East Coast to present the inaugural Intrepid Valor Awards to five service members, veterans and military families "living with the invisible wounds of war" at the Intrepid Museum's 2021 Salute to Freedom gala on 10 November.

The event, held aboard the historic aircraft carrier Intrepid, comes the day before Armistice Day in the UK, known as Veterans Day in the US.

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