Despite the ongoing health crisis, almost the entire royal family took part in Remembrance Sunday in London.
Queen Elizabeth marked the somber occasion by making a solo visit to the Burial of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey.
Her Majesty also joined Kate Middleton, Prince William, and Prince Charles in a personal tribute to all the servicemen who fought for the country. The two men both battled COVID-19.
Notably absent from the ceremony were Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle who now reside in California after stepping down for their royal duties.
Prince Harry purchased a £1,000 ($1,319) wreath from the Royal British Legion’s Kent HQ and reached out to Buckingham Palace to have it laid at the ceremony.
However, the palace refused to do so because the Duke and Duchess are no longer working royals. The Duke and Duchess made the surprising move to release photos taken at a cemetery in Los Angeles, where they paid their respects to fallen Commonwealth soldiers.
Prince Harry and the former actress placed flowers at the graves of two late service members from the Royal Australian Air Force and one for soldiers from the Royal Canadian Artillery.
Robert Lacey, the author of the biography Battle of the Brothers, did an interview with Newsweek, where he revealed that the divide between Harry and the royal family has grown more profound than expected.
He said: “I think this is an indication that things are worse than we thought.”
The royal biographer went on to say: “On the face of this, it would seem that Harry is keener on reconciliation or maintaining some sort of link than the palace is to granting one.”
He shared his thoughts on Prince Harry’s years of military service by explaining: “The spares are expendable so they are sent to war. It’s all part of the cruelty of the spare system.”
Robert stated that Harry and Meghan’s decision to share the photographs taken during their private visit to a cemetery in Los Angeles had been “clearly issued as part of the ongoing battle between the Sussexes and the palace.”
Harry also honored Remember Sunday by appearing on Declassified podcast’s “Remembrance Special — The Military Community” episode, where he explained: “Remembrance Day for me is a moment for respect and for hope. Respect for those who came before us and hoped for a safer world. The act of remembering, of Remembrance, is a profound act of honor. It’s how we preserve the legacies of entire generations and show our gratitude for the sacrifices they made in order for us to be able to live the lives we live today.”
The war is on, observers believe. Royal fans are now forced to pick sides.
