The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were absent from the annual Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in London, choosing instead to mark the occasion privately, despite having recently moved back to the UK.
Senior members of the Royal Family, including the King, Queen Camilla, and the Prince and Princess of Wales, attended the service today, laying wreaths in honour of the war dead. Prince Harry and Meghan, who returned to the UK in August after six years in America, were noticeably not among them.
Private Observance and Message to Charity
Although the Sussexes are not working royals, Harry served a decade in the Army, including two tours in Afghanistan, and has spoken of the importance of Remembrance Sunday. This year, it is understood they are marking the day privately.
On Friday, Harry issued a message to the military bereavement charity Scotty's Little Soldiers, paying tribute to their loved ones and thanking them for their service. In his letter, he said: "Whether you're a young person who has been part of Scotty's Little Soldiers for years, or someone older who is just now discovering this community under the new name Scotty's, I'm glad you found us."
He continued: "Navigating the grief of losing a loved one doesn't leave you, no matter how old you are. Know that you are not alone, as this is one of the most universal experiences of being human. Scotty's will be with you every step of the way."
Past Tribute and Reflections
In previous years, Harry has marked Remembrance Sunday in his own private way. In 2020, the year the Duke and Duchess quit their royal roles and moved to America, Harry was denied his request to have a wreath placed at the Cenotaph on his behalf. Instead, the couple laid a wreath at the Los Angeles National Cemetery and placed flowers on the graves of two Commonwealth soldiers.
Last year, Harry marked the occasion with an essay titled "The Bond, The Banter, The Bravery: What it means to be British," in which he acknowledged that although he "currently" lived in the US at the time, he reflected that "Britain is, and always will be, the country I proudly served and fought for." He described Remembrance as "not simply a minute's silence" but "a call to collective responsibility," urging people to remember "not only the fallen, but the living" and to knock on veterans' doors to hear their stories.
The last time Harry and Meghan joined the Royal Family for Remembrance Sunday was in 2019, just two months before they quit their roles. They stood alongside the royals as a wreath was placed and attended the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall.
