Princess Diana died on August 31, 1997, after being involved in a car accident in Paris, France. Her funeral took place a week later, on September 6, at Westminster Abbey in London. The event was attended by members of the Royal Family, including Diana's two sons, Prince Harry and Prince William, her ex-husband King Charles, and her former mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II. However, one member of the Royal Family decided to skip Diana's funeral, fearing their attendance would upset too many people.
According to the Daily Mail, biographer Sean Smith discussed Duchess Sophie's decision to not attend Princess Diana's funeral in a forthcoming book. At the time, Sophie had been dating Prince Edward for four years, and the pair would marry in 1999. "She had an obvious and reasonable excuse: a friend at the palace explained," per Smith. "Sophie decided it would be too upsetting for the crowd if she went."
