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."
According to Smith, the palace source 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."
Duchess Sophie in 1994.
According to Smith, Sophie's similarity to Diana was regularly remarked upon. "One of the reasons Sophie's impression of Diana was so good is that they bore more than a passing resemblance to one another—a comparison neither woman enjoyed," Smith wrote, via the Daily Mail.
The royal biographer continued, "In retrospect, Sophie having her hair clipped short in a Diana-style blonde bob was probably a mistake."
Princess Diana in 1996.
Smith also suggested that Diana and Sophie were never friends. "The polite description of their relationship, as preferred by the more diplomatic of Sophie's friends, was to say that there was 'no love lost' between them," Smith wrote.
