Prince Harry has released a brand new essay professing his love for “things that make us British” – just hours before estranged brother Prince William’s Earthshot Prize Awards
Prince Harry appears to have offered a subtle olive branch to Prince William amid an awkward diary clash. Today, the warring brothers will both make appearances with William hosting his annual Earthshot Prize Awards in Rio and Harry travelling to Canada for a series of outing relating to Remembrance.
The estranged pair will also clash tomorrow with Harry continuing events in Canada and William attending he COP30 climate change summit in Belem, the gateway to the Amazon, on behalf of the King, where he will give a landmark speech. This morning, just hours before the Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony in Rio, Harry released a personal essay ahead of Remembrance Day, in which he describes the privilege of serving alongside men and women from all four corners of the UK.
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He also expressed his pride at fighting for his country as well as his love of the “things that make us British” – even though he points out he ‘currently’ lives in the United States. However, it is understood Harry’s words were released this morning to avoid drawing focus away from William’s major speech at the COP30 climate talks in the Amazon on Thursday.
It is also believed they came early on Wednesday in a bid not to distract from other royal Remembrance events such as the Field of Remembrance tomorrow, the annual Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday, and commemorations at the Cenotaph on Sunday.
It comes after many eyebrows were raised over the timing of Harry’s announcement that he would be travelling to Toronto, which came minutes after William made his first appearance in Rio de Janeiro. In the past, there has been an unwritten rule for members of the Royal Family to delay major announcements when other royals are on tour.
But sources close to Harry said the timing of the announcement, at the exact moment Prince William arrived in Rio, was unavoidable due to Harry being stripped of his security when he left his role as a working member of the royal family. The source claimed the period of time in which Harry and Meghan can release details of their events is much more truncated than it is for the King or William.
The source added that the Sussexes’ team was purely guided on advice given to them by their private security advisors. A spokesman for the Sussexes confirmed they had informed royal communications “as a courtesy”.
It came after a spokesman for Prince Harry said: “This week, during the annual period of Remembrancetide, Prince Harry will travel to Toronto, Canada. There, he will meet with veterans, members of the armed forces community, and military charities.
“This visit, months in the planning, marks a return to a city that has a special place in the Duke’s heart, having played host to the Invictus Games back in 2017.” In his a personal 647-word piece titled “The Bond, The Banter, The Bravery: What it means to be British – By Prince Harry”, released today, he reflects that “Britain is, and always will be, the country I proudly served and fought for”.
Harry pays tribute to the “stoic spirit” of self-deprecation and humour of “us Brits” and fondly tells how the “banter of the mess, the clubhouse, the pub, the stands” are the “things that make us British”, adding “I love it.”
He describes Remembrance as “not simply a minute’s silence” but “a call to collective responsibility”. The duke says at the start of his reflective piece: “Every November the world, for a moment, grows quieter. We pause, together, to remember.
“Remembrance has never been about glorifying war. It’s about recognising its cost: the lives changed forever and the lessons paid for, through unimaginable sacrifice. It’s also about honouring those who, knowing that cost, still choose to serve.”
