Prince Harry made a solo appearance at a Remembrance Day service in Brackley, Northamptonshire, while King Charles and Prince William attended the official national commemoration at the Cenotaph in London.
The Duke of Sussex was seen wearing his military medals and a red poppy as he joined local residents to honour service personnel who died in the line of duty.
His absence from the London ceremony had prompted speculation that he might attend alongside his father and brother. Harry is no longer a working member of the Royal Family, and it is unclear whether he was not invited to the official event or chose not to go.
Queen Camilla and Catherine, Princess of Wales, watched the proceedings from a balcony overlooking the Cenotaph, while the King and the Prince of Wales paid their respects at the memorial.
Harry served for 10 years in the British Army, rising to the rank of captain and completing two tours of Afghanistan. He last attended the official Cenotaph service in 2019.
Before this year’s commemorations, a royal insider said the duke was unlikely to seek attention on a day dedicated to remembering the nation’s war dead.
“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 source told Hello! magazine.
“More likely, he’ll mark it in the same way that most veterans do, privately, either at church or at their local war memorial’s annual service.”
Harry also sent a personal message to Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a charity supporting children who have lost a parent who served in the armed forces.
He has supported the organisation since 2017 and became its global ambassador in 2023. In a message signed “Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex”, he reflected on grief and his own experience of losing his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
“No matter where you are in your journey, grief can often catch you by surprise, even years after a loss has occurred,” he wrote.
Harry added: “Navigating the grief of losing a loved one doesn’t leave you, no matter how old you are.”
He also drew on his military experience, writing: “When I was in the British Army, knowing someone had your back meant everything.”
