Why Duchess Sophie Thought It Would Be “Too Upsetting” for the Public If She Attended Princess Diana’s 1997 Funeral

Why Duchess Sophie Thought It Would Be “Too Upsetting” for the Public If She Attended Princess Diana’s 1997 Funeral

Then the girlfriend of Prince Edward, Sophie Rhys-Jones “had an obvious and reasonable excuse” for skipping.Sophie Rhys-Jones around the time of Princess Diana’s death.Credit: GettyThe GistPrincess Diana died on August 31, 1997—nearly 29 years ago.At the time, Sophie Rhys-Jones—now Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh—was the longtime girlfriend of Prince Edward.Sophie didn’t attend Diana’s funeral at Westminster Abbey because she thought it would be “t…