Watch out, Meghan! Duchess warned of Royal Family's 'ruthlessness'

Royal expert Daniela Elser claimed the unveiling of the Princess Diana statue yesterday at Kensington Palace brought to light the “enduring consequences” of those who get “on the wrong side” of the Firm. The royal commentator noted no other member of the Royal Family but Harry and William were in attendance yesterday.

Moreover, she said Princess Diana’s 60th birthday was not marked by any official social media account of the royals apart from the one of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – but the Royal Family’s account retweeted the post shared by Kensington Palace.

The Court Circular, which notes every official engagement carried out by working royals, did not register the unveiling of the statue.

And the statue of Princess Diana was missing “a single indication of her royal status”, Ms Elser said.

The expert wrote on News.com.au: “Sometimes what is most important, in both art and life, is not what is there, splashed around for everyone to see, but what is missing.

“Case in point, the unveiling of the highly anticipated and much-ballyhooed sculpture of Diana, Princess of Wales in the grounds of Kensington Palace.

“What is missing from the Ian Rank-Broadley piece is her iconic diamond and sapphire engagement ring.

“What is missing is a single indication of her royal status.

“And most crucially and telling what was missing from the event: Any member of the Royal Family, aside from Princes William and Harry, in attendance at the brief ceremony and any money from the royal coffers having gone into the project.”

Issuing a warning to Meghan, Ms Elser added: “If there was one essential, sad truth that the ceremony underscored it was that the consequences of getting on the wrong side of the house of Windsor can be brutal and enduring.

READ MORE: Princess Diana statue: Meaning of the three children explained

“If anyone, say anyone who might happen to now live in Montecito, California, needed a reminder about the ruthlessness that can lie at the heart of the Royal Family, then this was it.”

Meghan and Prince Harry officially stepped down as senior royals at the end of March 2020.

One year later, they raised a series of damaging claims against the Firm during a few public appearances.

Most notably, speaking to Oprah Winfrey the Duke and Duchess accused the palace of neglect, lack of support and racism.

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The statement issued by the Queen following their interview with Ms Winfrey stated the Sussexes “will always be much loved family members”.

However, it was claimed last month in a report by the Mail on Sunday following the Lilibet name row that the Queen has ditched her ‘never complain, never explain’ mantra and briefed aides to push back against “mistruths” when it comes to her own private conversations or those of other senior royals.

The unveiling of the statue of Princess Diana was deemed a private event, which is why it was not included in the Court Circular.

It was also not reported live, with videos and pictures released to the public only after the end of the event.

The absence of key royals such as the Duchess of Cambridge may have been due to a desire to focus on the brothers and their lasting love for Princess Diana – paired with the need to keep the number of guests to the bare minimum due to the COVID-19 restrictions in place.

Alongside Harry and William, only a handful of guests were in the Sunken Garden yesterday, including Princess Diana’s siblings, the statue’s sculptor and the head gardener who re-designed the Sunken Garden to better accommodate the statue – Pip Morrison.

As explained by Kensington Palace, the statue by Ian Rank-Broadley depicted Diana’s portrait and style “in the final period of her life as she gained confidence in her role as an ambassador for humanitarian causes and aims to convey her character and compassion.”

This could explain the absence of her engagement ring, with Princess Diana being portrayed in her mid-30s, after her bitter separation from Prince Charles.

Following the event, during which William and Harry put aside their rift, the brothers issued a joint statement.

It read: “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.

“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.

“Thank you to Ian Rank-Broadley, Pip Morrison and their teams for their outstanding work, to the friends and donors who helped make this happen, and to all those around the world who keep our mother’s memory alive.”