Prince Harry quietly paid tribute to his late grandfather Prince Philip and other veterans for the 80th anniversary of V-J Day, which brought World War II to an end in 1945.
The Duke of Sussex, 40, had a wreath and letter placed at the Burma Star Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum, in Staffordshire, England, on Friday, August 15. Earlier in the day, Harry’s father, King Charles III, led a service of remembrance for those who served in the Asia-Pacific region during the war.
According to People, Harry — who has been based in the United States since he and wife Meghan Markle stepped down from their royal duties in 2020 — asked a friend to place his tribute after Charles, 76, his wife, Queen Camilla, and members of the media left the event.
The letter was written on Harry’s personal letterhead and praised members of the “Forgotten Army” whose “courage and endurance in the Far East campaign were anything but forgettable.”
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The duke also included a personal message for Philip, who died in April 2021 at the age of 99.
“For me, this anniversary carries an added layer of meaning. My late grandfather, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, served in the Pacific campaign,” he wrote. “He spoke with quiet humility about those years, but I know how deeply he respected all who stood beside him in that theater of war. Today, as I think of him, I think also of each of you, of the shared hardships, the bonds forged and the legacy you leave.”
Philip, who was married to the late Queen Elizabeth II, joined the Royal Navy in 1939 and was mentioned in dispatches for his service during the Battle of Cape Matapan in the Mediterranean Sea in 1941. He was on board a ship in Tokyo Bay when Japan officially surrendered in September 1945.
Harry is also a military veteran, having served in the British Army from 2005 to 2015. He completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan as a helicopter pilot.
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Harry’s military service became a hot topic following the death of his grandmother Elizabeth in 2022, as he was not permitted to wear his uniform during official events as he was no longer a senior working royal. He was ultimately allowed to wear the uniform during a vigil alongside his brother, Prince William, and their cousins.
“He has come to terms with not wearing uniform on these occasions,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly at the time. “Whilst that’s disappointing in some senses, he’s just grateful to be present and honoring the queen. At the end of the day, it’s only a uniform.”
