Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge has opted not to attend the unveiling ceremony for Princess Diana's new statue in order to avoid being compared to Meghan Markle. A royal expert said her presence would send "a certain message" and fuel speculation about a perceived rift between the two sisters-in-law.

       US Weekly's Royally US host Molly Mulshine said: "I think there's a lot of competing narratives, there are just so many storylines around all of this in the public imagination and in the press.

       "I think there's a narrative that Meghan is Diana 2.0 and she is carrying on Diana's legacy and that Kate is more accepted by the royal establishment."

       She continued, "If Kate does show up, that is going to put a certain message across, that she's the one who lives in Kensington Palace the way Diana did and she's the one that's there in the UK, where Diana was from.

       "She is a UK country girl so that might be part of it as well, they don’t want to be seen to be playing into this competition."

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       Prince William and Prince Harry are set to reunite later this afternoon to unveil the statue commissioned to commemorate their mother.

       British sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley designed the statue, which is due to be unveiled at the Sunken Garden of Kensington Palace.

       The location was chosen specifically as it was known as Princess Diana's favourite spot when she lived at the Palace.

       The two brothers commissioned the statue in 2017, in order to honour what would have been their mother's 60th birthday.

       Details of the ceremony are yet to be released but it is widely speculated that both Prince Harry and Prince William will give a speech.

       It is the first time the two brothers have come together since Prince Philip's funeral in April.

       Relations between William and Harry have been strained since the Megxit announcement in January 2020, and have worsened after Harry and Meghan gave a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in March.

       During the interview, Harry described his relationship with William as "space" and said they were on very "different paths".

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       Meghan Markle also spoke about her relationship with Kate, blaming the British media for twisting the narrative around their supposed feud.

       She said, "if you love me, you don't have to hate her. And if you love her, you don't have to hate me."

       She also corrected the widely circulated story that she had made Kate cry in an argument over flower girl dresses before the royal wedding. According to Meghan, the reverse had happened and Kate had brought flowers and a note to apologise.

       Meghan and Kate have not seen each other since the couple relocated to California after announcing their intention to withdraw from the Royal Family.