Prince Harry will not join the royal family at the official Remembrance Day commemorations this year, according to a source close to the situation who spoke to Hello! magazine on Wednesday, despite having relocated back to the United Kingdom last month.
The source said Harry, who served ten years in the British military between 2005 and 2015, has “no desire to create drama” or distract from the national observance led by King Charles III and Prince William.
“He’s not going to do anything that would pull focus from the Royal Family or the national commemorations at the Cenotaph in London,” the insider said.
Instead, Harry is expected to mark the day privately, in keeping with how most veterans observe it. “He’ll most likely mark it in the same way that most veterans do, privately, either at church or at their local war memorial’s annual service,” the source told Hello!.
They added that Remembrance Sunday remains significant to Harry personally: “For Harry, Remembrance Sunday is a deeply personal and important occasion, a time to honour those who have served, remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice and stand alongside veterans.”
National ceremony at the Cenotaph
Each year the royal family leads the nation’s Remembrance Day observances, attending ceremonies, laying poppy wreaths, and joining veterans, politicians and the public for a two-minute silence. King Charles and Prince William are expected to attend the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in London this year.
Harry last took part in the official royal commemorations in November 2019, prior to his and Meghan Markle’s departure from official royal duties.
A fraught family backdrop
Harry and Markle moved back to the UK last month with their two children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5. Harry has not publicly explained the reason for the move, though it has previously been reported that he wanted to be closer to his father, who is being treated for cancer.
Sources have described the King and Prince William as “completely united” in the view that the Sussexes should not represent the royal family. Author Russell Myers has said the two are “without a doubt … in sync” on the matter. Myers has also said William believes any relationship between Charles and Harry is “entirely up to him,” while William himself will reportedly “have no relationship with them, in a working or private capacity whatsoever.” Charles, notably, has continued to speak with Harry since his return to England.
Since the move, Harry has made a handful of public appearances, while Markle has largely stayed out of the public eye. Last week she was photographed at a pub with Ellen DeGeneres, who has also relocated from California to the UK with her wife, Portia de Rossi.
