Prince Harry remains committed to the military, even if he can't show it in the ways he used to.
Sunday marked Remembrance Day in the UK. The solemn holiday that celebrates fallen members of the military is one the royal family always honors. Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were among those who attended a scaled-down ceremony at the Cenotaph.
Though Harry couldn't be in the UK for the holiday, he wanted his respect to be known. He placed a personal request to Buckingham Palace for a wreath to be laid on his behalf. Because of his new life away from the senior royal family, that request was denied, The Sunday Times reports.
Harry found his own way to mark the day. He and Meghan Markle laid flowers and a wreath at the Los Angeles National Cemetery on Sunday. They laid them at the gravesites of two Commonwealth soldiers, one who had served in the Royal Australian Air Force and one from the Royal Canadian Artillery.
Sunday marked Remembrance Day in the UK. The day asks everyone to remember those who served and did not come home, and it's very important to the royal family. They honor the military in a ceremonial wreath-laying each year. This year, the event was scaled down for safety.
The Sunday Times reports that Prince Harry put in a personal request to Buckingham Palace to have a wreath laid at the Cenotaph on his behalf. He planned to be there himself but couldn't due to travel restrictions, according to sources. Courtiers shot down that request because Harry is no longer a senior royal.
Sources indicate that the Queen wasn't made aware of the request, but let's face it. Not much happens without Elizabeth knowing about it, and this likely was no different. That said, it was hurtful for Harry to have that request denied.
Sunday's ceremony in the UK saw Princes Charles and William lay wreaths on their behalf and Queen Elizabeth's. She stood watching from a nearby balcony, as did Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Kate Middleton. The solemn event had no members of the public, in line with safety regulations.
Instead of celebrating the way he's used to, Harry appeared on the Declassified podcast and spoke about what the day means to him.
"Remembrance Day for me is a moment for respect and for hope. I wear it [the poppy] to celebrate the bravery and determination of all our veterans," he said.
"These are the people and moments I remember when I salute, when I stand at attention, and when I lay a wreath at the Cenotaph."
The decision not to allow a wreath to be laid on Harry's behalf feels petty. He had plans, for all intents and purposes, to be there, even if he wouldn't have been able to participate in the ceremony with the royals. He had plans to commemorate the day with military friends.
Harry didn't let the day go quietly, however. He and Meghan laid flowers and a wreath at the Los Angeles National Cemetery on Sunday. They laid flowers picked from their garden at the gravesites of two Commonwealth soldiers, one who had served in the Royal Australian Air Force and one from the Royal Canadian Artillery.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also placed a wreath at an obelisk in the cemetery. The wreath was adorned with a plaque that's inscribed, "In Memory of the Men Who Offered Their Lives in Defense of Their Country." You can tell Harry felt strongly as they made the visit.
For Harry, the military was his salvation. It put his life on the right track when he was young and misguided. His time serving in Afghanistan deeply affected him. As a father, he's committed to instilling what he learned in his 10 years in his son.
"Service is what happens in the quiet and in the chaos. It's what happens in the darkness, it's what happens when people aren't looking. It's what happens on and off the battlefield. It's about carrying out our duty as soldiers," he said.
"For me as a father, a husband and as a human being, it's about how we uphold these values in every aspect of our lives."
