Prince Harry's secret gesture to war veteran after royal family mark VE Day without him
Prince Harry awarded WW2 veteran Joseph Hammond a personal Invictus Medal Coin
As senior members of the royal family gathered in London this week to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Prince Harry quietly honoured a war hero in his own way.
The Duke of Sussex, 40, reportedly sent a special gift to World War Two veteran Joseph Hammond, days ahead of his 100th birthday.
Although he was absent from the official VE Day ceremonies, Harry awarded Joseph a personal Invictus Medal Coin.
The gift was delivered by ambassadors from the Invictus Games Foundation, the global sports event Harry founded in 2014 to support wounded and ill servicemen and women.
Prince Harry sends gift to veteran Joseph Hammond for VE Day
The gesture went largely unpublicised until Joseph himself shared it.
“It was a great honour to welcome the @WeAreInvictus team to Ghana, just ahead of my birthday this Saturday!” He posted on Twitter on May 7.
“I was honoured to receive the Invictus Medal Coin from #PrinceHarry.”
In return, Joseph gifted Harry a copy of his memoir. He called it a small token of appreciation for the duke’s “unwavering commitment to veterans’ welfare”.
The two first met in 2019 at a royal event for Commonwealth veterans.
I was honoured to receive the Invictus Medal Coin from Prince Harry.
Joseph served as a mechanic in Burma (now Myanmar) during World War Two. He said he was drawn to Harry immediately because of their shared military background.
“This man, especially Prince Harry. I glued myself to him because he is also a soldier,” Joseph told CNN at the time. “He’s been to Afghanistan. We spoke about the military, my battalion. We exchanged ideas. It was wonderful.”
In 2020, Joseph hit headlines when, at the age of 95, he walked 14 miles across Ghana to raise money for frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
His efforts inspired Harry to write him a personal letter of thanks.
“Even at ’95 years young,’ I imagine it was not an easy task,” Harry wrote. “However, given the service and selflessness you have demonstrated throughout your life, it does not surprise me that you would take on a challenge such as this.”
The Duke of Sussex concluded the letter by calling Joseph “a fine example to the world” and sent “warmest wishes” from both himself and Meghan Markle.
Is Prince Harry a veteran?
Yes, Prince Harry is a veteran. He served for 10 years in the British Army, including two tours of duty in Afghanistan.
Harry rose to the rank of Captain. He was widely respected for his frontline service, particularly his work as an Apache helicopter pilot.
Since leaving active duty in 2015, Harry has remained deeply involved in military causes.
He founded the Invictus Games in 2014 as a platform for injured and recovering servicemen and women from around the world to compete and find community through sport.
VE Day celebrations
As Harry honoured Joseph from afar, the rest of the royal family took part in high-profile VE Day tributes back in the UK.
On Monday (May 5), King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Kate, and their children participated in a flypast, military ceremony and a tea party for veterans at Buckingham Palace.
Prince George, notably, made his debut at a royal veterans’ event. The young prince, 11, sat beside his father as they chatted with attendees.
Later in the week, senior royals attended a service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey and later an anniversary concert.
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