2.5 billion people watched the funeral of Princess Diana that aired on September 6, 1997. With over 2,000 attendees in the ceremonial service, one might assume all royal family members would be present to pay their respects.
However, one royal member purposely decided to skip the funeral, and the royal family supported that decision. Sophie, who was dating Prince Edward for over four years, had a thoughtful reason to skip the funeral.
According to biographer Sean Smith, Duchess Sophie had a “reasonable excuse.” She wrote in the book, “Sophie decided it would be too upsetting for the crowd if she went.” A friend at the palace revealed the future duchess’s thought process during that time. She and Prince Edward were set to marry in 1999.
What happened on September 6!
In 1997, the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, took place in London on September 6, drawing immense global attention. More than a million mourners lined the streets as her cortege passed from Kensington Palace to Westminster Abbey. Around 2.5… pic.twitter.com/OUD1dNsglT
— Know Your History (@H54355Know) September 6, 2025
Her reason behind skipping the funeral was the way she looked. Smith explained, “She’s well aware that she looks like Princess Diana from a distance and made her decision in a caring and thoughtful way. The Royal Family fully supported.”
Seeing Princess Diana’s lookalike may have upset the crowd and reminded them of her even more. Apart from the same hair color, Sophie had cut her hair short into a bob during that time.
September 6, 1997: The funeral of Princess Diana was held at Westminster Abbey in London.
It was attended by 2,000 people, with hundreds of thousands in the streets, and 2.5 billion watching on TV.
Diana was truly loved worldwide. pic.twitter.com/Kni9VwnWiM
— Today in History (@TodayinHistory) September 6, 2025
That made her resemblance to the late princess even stronger. Smith further wrote, “In retrospect, Sophie having her hair clipped short in a Diana-style blonde bob was probably a mistake.”
There was a massive public outpouring of grief after Diana’s tragic death in a car accident in Paris on August 31, 1997. So Sophie’s decision may have made sense during that time. Right after learning about the fatal crash, many left flowers outside Kensington Palace.
According to reports, over 60 million flowers, weighing 10-15 tons, were placed. There were also candles, stuffed animals, photographs and notes left behind. Even the decayed flowers were later turned into compost for the Kensington Palace gardens.
Smith also added that the two women did not enjoy the comparison because of their similar looks. She claimed the two were not even friends. Someone close to Sophie revealed there was ‘no love lost’ between them.’
