As everyone discussed Prince William and Prince Harry’s appearance at the much-hyped fakakta statue unveiling, a curious story popped up on social media. Apparently, Kate had been seen out in Hyde Park with Prince Louis. The woman who saw Kate seemed… I don’t know, like she had gotten the story straight from the Middleton PR office. Go here if you want to read the account. What is clear is that Kate was pretty desperate to be in the news this week. Not so desperate that she would actually do a stitch of work, God no. It wasn’t *that* desperate. But Kate, like William, played herself. She was trying to publicly convince William to allow her to come to the statue-unveiling and he just kept shutting her down. So now, after the fact, the excuse is that “the royal family” asked Kate to sit this one out and like a dutiful duchess, she simply did what she was told.

Flying solo. Prince William attended the Thursday, July 1, unveiling of Princess Diana’s statue without wife Duchess Kate and their three kids, despite her desire to be a part of the event.

“Out of respect for [Prince] Harry and William, [the royal family] wanted it to be just about Diana’s sons and not a huge public affair,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly. “Kate was definitely supporting William while physically not being there and really wanted to attend, but the family as a whole decided it was best for the kids and her to stay home.”

The insider adds that the family determined “a few weeks ago” who would be at the ceremony. Since she could not be there in person, “Kate watched from afar with” Prince George, 7, Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince Louis, 3. The royals are expected to visit the statue “at a later time.”

Kensington Palace confirmed on Friday, June 25, that William, 39, would attend the event, as well as his younger brother, Harry. (The former military pilot, 36, flew in from Montecito, California, emerging from quarantine on Wednesday, June 29.)

[From Us Weekly]

The “family” didn’t have anything to do with it. As Robert Lacey and a dozen other royal commentators pointed out, the Queen and Prince of Wales wanted nothing to do with this statue. Chaz went on vacation. The Queen was in Scotland, trying to shore up diplomatic ties and stop independence. The statue was completely organized by William and Harry. If someone told Kate not to come, it was William or Harry. And since people are being so careful about NOT blaming Harry (for fear of him telling Omid Scobie the real story), we can only assume that William did not want his wife there. Which, to be clear, was actually the right decision from William. Kate would have turned the event into The Keen Linchpin Show with inappropriate gawping, flirting with Harry, staring at Harry longingly and ridiculous Diana cosplay. Blaming her absence on “what the family wanted” is a face-saving measure from Camp Middleton.