Prince Harry and Prince William are set to attend an occasion honoring their late mother, Princess Diana, amid her estrangement.
However, the Prince of Wales will depart the event before the Duke of Sussex’s digital appearance, the Times of London reported on Wednesday.
Harry and William, who have been at loggerheads since the duke ended his royal duties in 2020, are due to speak individually at the Diana Legacy Award ceremony at London’s Science Museum on Thursday evening.
“It is a privilege to have the support of the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex – especially as we celebrate our 25th anniversary year,” Dr Tessy Ojo, chief executive of the Diana Award, told the newspaper.
Amid rising tensions, the prince, 41, will give a personal speech and the current 20 winners with their awards before leaving.
Only after William leaves the ceremony will Harry, 39, be video-linked from California to speak to the winners and give a short speech.
William will attend the event without his wife, Kate Middleton, as she recovers from stomach surgery.
A spokesperson for the event assured the Telegraph that Harry will be an “important part” of the memorial regardless.
“He is scheduled to speak with the awardees on approximately the night of the awards to celebrate their achievements,” the representative said.
Meanwhile, Kensington Palace confirmed that William will “meet key staff and supporters” of the award before the ceremony begins.
“He will hear about the work of the awardees, give a short speech and present the Legacy Awards to this year’s winners,” a palace representative told the Times.
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While the Diana Awards take place annually, the Legacy Award event is held every two years to celebrate the achievements of 20 “distinguished young leaders who are inspiring the next generation to follow in the footsteps of Diana, Princess of Wales and make a positive distinction for the world.”
It’s unclear whether William will make any comments about Middleton’s controversial Mother’s Day Photoshop fail in the UK, which has spurred conspiracy theories about her whereabouts while she remains out of the spotlight.
Harry and William previously joined forces to attend the event honoring their mother’s memory before their breakup.
But things have changed drastically since Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped down from their royal duties and moved to Montecito, California, where they live with their two children: Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2.
The Sussexes made matters worse by constantly airing the monarchy’s dirty laundry in numerous interviews, as well as in their 2022 Netflix docu-series, “Harry & Meghan,” and Harry’s memoir, “Spare.”
Last year, the special event was held in Los Angeles and both brothers were concerned, although they did not attend in person and subsequently avoided crossing paths.
Diana tragically died in a car accident in Paris on August 31, 1997, aged 36. William and Harry, who already had a close relationship, were just 15 and 12 years old respectively when they lost their mother.