Prince Harry sent a telling message about his rift with King Charles and the rest of the Royal Family with his latest move to mark a major anniversary, according to Jennie Bond
Prince Harry is ‘anxious’ not to cause more friction with King Charles with a huge change in attitude – but one problem might lie ahead, a royal expert has claimed.
The Duke of Sussex has been at loggerheads with his estranged father, with Harry himself admitting earlier this year that he and the King are no longer on speaking terms.
However, a glimmer of hope of a breakthrough in reconciliation came last month when senior aides for both Harry and the King met for so-called peace talks. Meanwhile, earlier this week, it emerged that Harry paid a poignant tribute to his grandfather, Prince Philip, in a personal letter secretly left at the National Memorial Arboretum on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.
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It was reported that Harry asked a friend to discreetly leave the note and a wreath of red poppies at the Burma Star Memorial, with the letter only placed after Charles and Camilla left to avoid distracting from the service.
And for former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, the move by Harry, who served in the Army for 10 years, shows one thing about his former working royal life.
She told the Mirror : “I think this shows that Harry has definitely not completely turned his back on his royal life and that he will always regard himself as a member of the wider military family. He hasn’t turned into a Californian surfer dude after all: he remains a prince and a former soldier.
“He is also the grandson of one of those who fought in the ‘Forgotten War’ and the letter and wreath which were placed so discreetly were dedicated to Prince Philip and those who served with him in the Pacific.
“It was a graphic illustration that, although Harry has left official royal duties behind , he will always be part of the royal family.”
Harry’s tribute comes five years after he was left saddened when he was refused his wish to have a poppy wreath placed at the Cenotaph, the focus of the UK’s Remembrance Sunday service, on his behalf in 2020.
Just months later, the duke, who undertook two tours to Afghanistan, was stripped of his military patronages by his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, after his decision to step down as a senior working royal was made permanent.
And Jennie added: “Personally, I think it was rather petty that Harry wasn’t allowed to have a wreath laid at the Cenotaph on his behalf in recent years.
“I’m sure it has made him very angry, but I think we are now seeing a far more conciliatory attitude from him: treading discreetly and quietly, making sure that his wreath and letter did not upstage the King and Queen.
“It seems clear that Harry is anxious not to cause any more friction with his father, and that has to be a good sign. It’s too much to hope that he would be invited to take part in the Remembrance Day ceremony in London this November – that would cause too many problems with his brother.
“But perhaps he could be allowed this time to have someone lay a wreath, openly and publicly, on his behalf. Remembering the war dead should surely take precedence over any family squabbles.”
