Prince Harry and Meghan Markle laid a wreath in honor of soldiers at Los Angeles National Cemetery after Buckingham Palace denied the prince’s request for a wreath to be laid on his behalf on Remembrance Sunday.
The request “was denied by courtiers on the grounds that he is no longer representing the monarchy,” and he was “deeply saddened” by the decision, the Sunday Times reports. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stood down from royal duties in March of 2020 and moved to California with their infant son.
Prince Harry and Meghan have marked #RemembranceSunday by visiting the Los Angeles National Cemetery today. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex wanted to “personally recognise” the day in their own way. pic.twitter.com/jFRr3RPbRv
— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) November 8, 2020
The Queen, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were present at Sunday’s commemorations at the Cenotaph, a British war memorial.
The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge lay their wreaths at the Cenotaph after the national two minute silence.
A key difference in the royal party this year: no Prince Harry and no Prince Andrew-both of whom have left the Royal Family since last year’s #RememberanceSunday pic.twitter.com/qJRqI6gwkd— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) November 8, 2020
Harry served in the British Army for 10 years, serving two tours in Afghanistan and reaching the rank of Captain, before he resigned in 2015. Much of Harry’s charity work has been related to the armed forces, including creating the Invictus Games for wounded veterans after observing the United States’s Warrior Games.
The Duke also previously stepped back from his honorary appointment as captain general of the Royal Marines, a role he took up from his grandfather, Prince Phillip, who served in the position for 64 years before his retirement. The role will remain vacant for at least one year, in the event the prince wants to return.
Major Gen. Julian Thompson questioned Harry’s commitment to the Marines in October, saying, “He has to take the job seriously and not just say, ‘Well, I’m still the captain general and I’m going to live in Los Angeles and never visit the U.K.’ It’s wrong. You can’t do that. He is expected to attend events and be around and be as accessible as his grandfather was.”
In an interview with the Declassified podcast, the prince called remembrance “a profound act of honour,” adding that it preserves “the legacies of entire generations and shows our gratitude for the sacrifices they made in order for us to be able to live the lives we live today.”
