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Princes William and Harry will mark the 25th anniversary of their mother Princess Diana’s death in private but apart on Wednesday, as their feud between the brothers shows no signs of abating.
On August 31, 1997, the former Lady Diana Spencer died in a car accident. Her fairytale marriage to Prince Charles captivated the world until it publicly unravelled with infidelity and divorce.
Her sons spoke at a series of public commemorations of her life five years ago about the lasting impact of her death on them.
The brothers will not participate in any official commemorations this year, preferring to mark the occasion privately with their own families.
William, 40, and his wife, Catherine, and their three young children recently announced a move from London to the Windsor estate west of London.
After leaving the royal family in early 2020, Harry, 37, now resides in California with his wife, Meghan, and their two children.
The brothers “agreed to draw a line under their public commemorations” at the 20th anniversary, the Daily Telegraph reported on Saturday.
Both couples’ representatives confirmed they would spend the day alone.
Following Diana’s untimely death at the age of 36, a sea of floral tributes was laid at the gates of her former London residence, Kensington Palace.
Flowers will be laid at the palace and near the entrance to the Paris road tunnel where the high-speed crash occurred.
Legacy
Diana is still regarded as a fashion icon and for breaking with stuffy royal protocol, particularly after her public divorce.
She was also praised for her charitable work, which highlighted the scourge of landmines and encouraged a shift in attitudes toward people living with HIV/AIDS.
A sporty Ford Escort she once owned was auctioned off last weekend for 737,000 pounds ($864,000), demonstrating the public’s enduring fascination with the royal.
Her marital problems will also be featured in the upcoming season of Netflix’s hit drama “The Crown.”
According to Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty Magazine, Diana influenced her sons to be less formal than traditional royals.
“They are much more ‘touchy feely’ than they ever would have been,” he said, referring to William’s hugs for England’s women footballers following their Euro 2022 victory earlier this month.
“I want it to be a day filled with memories of her incredible work and admiration for how she did it,” he added.
Rift
When Diana died, William and Harry were only 15 and 12 years old, respectively, and they provided the iconic image of her funeral, walking heads bowed behind her coffin.
On her 60th birthday, the brothers unveiled a statue of her at Kensington Palace last year.
But a schism, which is said to have started soon after Harry began dating Meghan, was barely concealed.
The couple was briefly seen together at their grandmother Queen Elizabeth II’s husband Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021.
They were also absent from the recent public commemorations of the Queen’s 70th year on the throne.
William has reacted angrily to claims of racism in the royal family made by the couple in a television interview.
Harry, who is expected to reveal more details in his upcoming memoir, has also stated that William and their father were imprisoned in a dungeon.
The couple will be staying near William and Kate on the sprawling Windsor estate for a series of charity events next week.
There are no plans for the brothers to meet, nor for Harry to travel to Scotland to see his ailing 96-year-old grandmother at her Balmoral retreat.
