Prince Harry has flown to the UK to unveil a statue to commemorate the 60th birthday of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. (File photo). Photo: AFP / Julian Smith
The Duke of Sussex arrived at London's Heathrow Airport alone on Friday afternoon local time, leaving wife Meghan back at their Californian home with son Archie, two, and newborn daughter Lilibet.
He was driven under police escort to Frogmore Cottage, in the grounds of the royal estate at Windsor, where he will isolate for five days before taking a Covid-19 test.
Kensington Palace confirmed Harry, 36, would join older brother Prince William in the gardens of the palace on 1 July for a "small event" for the unveiling.
"Prince William and Prince Harry will attend a small event to mark the unveiling of a statue they commissioned of their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace," a statement from Kensington Palace said.
"In addition to close family of Diana, Princess of Wales, members of the statue committee, the sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley, and garden designer Pip Morrison will also be present."
It will be the first time the brothers have seen each other since the funeral of their grandfather Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, in April.
The brothers commissioned the statue in 2017, the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana's death, by forming a committee and privately raising funds for it.
Diana, the first wife of Charles, the Prince of Wales, was killed alongside her boyfriend Dodi al-Fayed when the car they were being driven in crashed in a Paris tunnel in 1997, while it was being chased by photographers.
The driver of the vehicle, Henri Paul, was also killed in the accident. The pair's bodyguard survived.
Prince William was 15 and Prince Harry was 12 at the time.
"It has been 20 years since our mother's death and the time is right to recognise her positive impact in the UK and around the world with a permanent statue," Prince William said in a statement when the statue was announced in 2017.
Royal relationships strained
Some quarters of the British press had speculated on whether Prince Harry would attend the unveiling, given his strained relationship with other members of the royal family following a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey earlier this year.
During the interview the Sussexes accused an unnamed member of the family of racism and said Meghan's pleas to seek help for her mental health were rejected by palace officials.
The interview came several months after Prince Harry and Meghan confirmed their departure as working members of the royal family, which included the duke and duchess being stripped of their royal patronages.
More controversy was stirred earlier this month when the BBC reported the Sussexes had not sought permission from Queen Elizabeth before choosing the name Lilibet.
The nickname "Lilibet" was reported given to the Queen as a toddler when she was unable to properly pronounce her own name.
Lawyers for the duke and duchess said the BBC article was "false and defamatory".
-ABC
