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Now that Prince Harry and his family are back in the UK, he’s apparently fixing to take part in some of the country’s most important traditions.
As a veteran who served a decade in the army, Harry must have felt that he should be, in one way or another, involved in the national memorial on Remembrance Sunday.
Even though he did not attend this year’s national ceremony in London to avoid piling drama on the special occasion, he did attend a separate Remembrance Sunday service in Brackley.
Meanwhile, outlets are harkening back to a time when the Palace denied a wreath request from him and got called out for it.
Key Takeaways
- Prince Harry marks Remembrance Sunday separately from the Royal Family
- Harry attends a local memorial service in Brackley
- The Palace reportedly rejected his wreath request in 2020
- Harry was reportedly saddened and disappointed by the decision
- The controversy resurfaces following the Sussexes’ return to Britain
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Why Did the Royal Family Deny Prince Harry’s Remembrance Sunday Request?
This Remembrance Sunday marks the first one since the Sussexes decided to return to the UK.
Of course, if it went completely drama-free, it would’ve been asking for too much.
Yes, Harry stayed away from the national ceremony, but his antics of past years have returned to haunt him.
Fresh out of the Royal Family in 2020, Prince Harry made a request to have his wreath added to the same place that hosted those of working royals.
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At the time, arrangements had reportedly been made for a wreath to be laid on his behalf, but the request was rejected.
But, even though he and his wife planned to honor the important event in Los Angeles, he’d hoped that the Royal Family would allow his wreath to be laid at the Cenotaph on his behalf.
When this didn’t happen, a source told PEOPLE that Harry “understands that he doesn’t have the same formal role in the family as he used to. But he was saddened and disappointed by the decision.”
The first time Harry laid a wreath at the Cenotaph was in 2009, when he was 25.
However, when the Sussexes announced that they were stepping back from their roles as working royals, Harry lost his honorary military appointments, including his role as Captain General of the Royal Marines.
The 2020 wreath controversy also prompted questions about who made the decision to refuse his request.
In a rather surprising move, Harry opted not to repeat the request this year, and even though he and his family are back on British soil, he decided to stay away from the national ceremony.
Instead, Harry attended a local Remembrance Sunday service in Brackley, wearing his military medals and a poppy.
His connection to his military career has remained an important part of his public life since stepping back from royal duties.
As previously reported by Celeb Dirty Laundry, Harry’s loss of his honorary military appointments also attracted attention following his royal departure.
Annemarie’s Take
Harry’s military service is clearly an important part of his life, and I can understand why the 2020 wreath decision would have been disappointing.
But his quiet appearance in Brackley this year shows that he can honor fallen service members without being part of the official royal ceremony. Perhaps keeping the focus on remembrance rather than another family disagreement was the better choice.
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