What Did Prince William And Kate Middleton Just Do To Honor Princess Diana?

Prince William and his brother Prince Harry previously honored their mother on what would have been her 60th birthday. The Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex came together on July 1 to unveil a statue of Princess Diana that they had commissioned back in 2017, according to BBC News. The bronze statue was erected in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, and featured a depiction of a modern-day Diana surrounded by three young children, showing her strong ability to bond with others — and to represent the charity work she did, especially through organizations that supported kids, People magazine reported.

"Today, on what would have been our Mother's 60th birthday, we remember her love, strength and character — qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better," the brothers said in a joint statement, according to CNN. "Every day, we wish she were still with us, and our hope is that this statue will be seen forever as a symbol of her life and her legacy," the statement continued. 

After the unveiling, Express reported that Harry left straight away, heading out after about 20 minutes. Harry flew back to the U.S. the very next day. Fast forward three months, and Prince William, joined by his wife, Kate Middleton, came together for another event involving the new statue. Read on to learn more.

Prince William and Kate Middleton hosted a private event in honor of Princess Diana on October 19. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge invited people who donated to the creation of the statue, according to Hello! magazine. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, only a few guests were allowed to attend the statue unveiling back in July. For this reason, William and Kate decided to host this event where they "met to thank donors who had helped back the project." The event was attended by some 100 guests, and "included Diana's close friends, former staff and relatives," the majority of whom were not at the statue unveiling ceremony, Hello! reports. 

It is unknown if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were invited to the October 19 event or if they had any plans to attend. Back in July, the Daily Mail reported that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would possibly travel across the pond in September for another event honoring Diana. The event held on October 19 was the same event that Harry and Meghan were rumored to be traveling to the UK for. However, the couple did not make the trip. According to Hello! magazine, Harry reached out to the donors on his own to thank them for their contributions in making the statue of his mum possible.