Kate May Not Join William at Princess Diana’s Tribute—& Her Reason Has to Do With Harry

We may not be seeing Kate Middleton at Princess Diana’s tribute with Prince William after all. Like her sister-in-law Meghan Markle, it appears Duchess Kate might skip out on the ceremony, where a memorial statue of the late Princess of Wales will be unveiled in the U.K. But Kate’s reason for not attending is very different from Meghan’s.

In a report published by HELLO! on Wednesday, June 16, it was revealed that Meghan, 39, is unlikely to attend the memorial ceremony in the U.K. alongside her husband Harry, 36, after having recently welcomed their second child, Lilibet “Lili” Diana in the States. Instead, Meghan is expected to stay home in Montecito, California with her son Archie and daughter Lili, who will only be about one month old at the time of the tribute.

When it comes to Duchess Kate, however, her reason for not attending isn’t quite so simple. One royal expert believes that the Duchess of Cambridge, 39, may also decide to stay home with her kids in order to give her husband William, 38, and her brother-in-law Harry some space for “reconciliation” amid their ongoing feud.

On Thursday, June 17, Express quoted Daily Telegraph associate editor Camilla Tominey, who noted that “neither” of Prince Harry or William’s families have been suggested thus far to be attending the ceremony. “We’ve never really been told that family is going to be included in this thing, we know this is the reunion for the brothers on what would have been Diana’s 60th birthday on 1st July,” Tominey said. “Never any suggestions that the Cambridges would attend along with Prince William and equally, that Meghan and the children would attend with Harry.”

Instead, Tominey believes that the unveiling of Princess Diana’s statue could take place with only Prince William and Prince Harry in attendance. “I think we may just see them cut solo figures without their families around them,” she explained. “All eyes will be on the brothers of course, because everyone’s hoping there may be some kind of reconciliation at what is going to be a hugely poignant and significant moment for them, remembering their late mother.”