Prince Harry 'asked friend' to leave VJ Day wreath at memorial to 'avoid attention'
The Duke of Sussex served in the military...Prince Harry, who was in California, discreetly marked the 80th anniversary of VJ Day by asking a close friend to lay a wreath of red poppies. It also included a personal note, and was found at the Burma Star Memorial.
However, the Duke of Sussex opted to avoid drawing attention, as the wreath was placed only after King Charles and Queen Camilla had paid their respects earlier in the day.
A royal expert has said this was a move by the royal which shows he hasn’t turned his back on his ties with The Firm.
Prince Harry lays VJ Day wreath in ‘secret’
The Duke of Sussex and his father are widely reported to no longer be on speaking terms following Harry’s decision to step down as a senior working member of the royal family in 2020.
Despite the ongoing rift, Harry still chose to pay tribute to those who fought in the so-called “Forgotten War,” as well as to his grandfather, Prince Philip, who served with distinction during the conflict.
According to Jennie Bond, former BBC Royal Correspondent, this understated gesture could mark an important step in Harry’s continuing connection with his royal heritage. She suggested it might even pave the way for him “to have someone lay a wreath, openly and publicly, on his behalf” at future commemorations.
The former correspondent went on to describe Harry’s act as “a graphic illustration that, although he has left official royal duties behind, he will always be part of the royal family.”
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Duke is still a member of the military family
Bond explained that Harry’s quiet tribute demonstrated that “he has definitely not completely turned his back on his royal life and that he will always regard himself as a member of the wider military family.”
Having spent 10 years serving in the British Army, where he completed two tours in Afghanistan and achieved the rank of Captain, Harry has long been defined by his military ties.
“He hasn’t turned into a Californian surfer dude after all,” Bond remarked. “He remains a prince and a former soldier.”
This is not the first time Harry’s role in remembrance has been complicated. In 2020, just months after stepping back from royal duties, he was reportedly denied permission to have a wreath laid on his behalf at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday.
According to Bond, this decision “surely made him very angry” and highlighted the cost of his departure from official royal life.
For now, Prince Harry’s quiet tribute wreath on VJ Day shows that, while he may be living thousands of miles away in California, he has not severed the deep ties of service, sacrifice, and remembrance that continue to connect him to both the monarchy and the wider Armed Forces.
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