Kate Middleton broke royal protocol in March 2021 when she attended the memorial for Sarah Everard on Clapham Common in London. According to a royal expert, Princess Kate's unannounced visit made a "subtle point" about the royal's priorities, via the Daily Mail.
On March 3, 2021, Everard was abducted, raped, and murdered by police officer Wayne Couzens. People across the United Kingdom shared their shock and devastation for Everard and her family, and many gathered to pay their respects at a memorial on Clapham Common.
Princess Kate wasn't scheduled to attend the memorial, and she didn't bring a photographer to document her visit. Instead, she silently attended the vigil and left flowers in Everard's memory. The Princess of Wales's presence at the memorial became public when she was spotted on a live news broadcast.
Royal expert Penny Junor discussed Kate Middleton's decision to privately attend Everard's memorial. Writing in The Sunday Times, Junor noted that Kate's appearance "spoke volumes." "Kate was making a very subtle point," the royal expert explained. "You don't need to make a song and dance about things."
Junor further explained, "[T]here's a difference between service and self-service. I feel real service is doing things selflessly for others...I think that's what Kate understands."
At the time, Kensington Palace shared a statement regarding Kate's visit to the memorial, saying the princess wanted to "pay her respects to the family and to Sarah," via The Independent. "She remembers what it was like to walk around London at night before she was married," the statement explained.
Princess Kate also wrote a private letter to the Everard family. "Kate's letter was deeply personal and heartfelt, she expressed her absolute sadness at what Sarah's family and loved ones are going through," a source claimed to the Mirror. "She said she knows that no words can change what happened but that she wanted to let them know that they and Sarah are in her thoughts."
