The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry will take part in a private service to re-dedicate the grave of Diana, the late Princess of Wales.
The service will be held at Althorp House, Diana’s family home in Northamptonshire, on Sunday 1st July: what would have been the Princess’s 56th birthday. Also in attendance will be her grandchildren, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, along with her brother, the Earl of Spencer, and her sisters, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Baroness Fellowes.
Kensington Palace confirmed the news in a brief statement, revealing that ‘the service, which will fall on what would have been the Princess’s birthday, will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury and attended by her family.’
Diana’s ex-husband Prince Charles will not be present, due to a scheduled royal visit to Canada with Camilla, the Duchess of Cambridge.
The re-dedication will most likely include words of reflection and prayer, and will be kept private.
Last year, the Spencer family embarked on an extensive renovation programme of the grounds at Althorp, including a re-design of the Oval Lake, which is now dedicated to Diana's memory.
Describing the 1997 funeral of his mother in a much-discussed recent interview with Newsweek, Prince Harry discussed the difficulty of grieving for his mother in the public eye when he was just 12 years old.
'My mother had just died, and I had to walk a long way behind her coffin, surrounded by thousands of people watching me while millions more did on television.'
'I don't think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances. I don't think it would happen today.'
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