BREAKING NEWS: Blow to Prince Harry as he’s set to be excluded from major royal event
The Duke of Sussex is expected to remain a non-working royal after his shock return to Britain with his wife and children
Prince Harry is unlikely to attend Remembrance Sunday commemorations in November (Image: Getty)
Prince Harry is set to be excluded from a major royal event just months after returning to the UK with his family. The Duke of Sussex, who spent 10 years in the armed forces and did two tours of Afghanistan, has accepted he won’t be invited to Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph, according to reports.
Harry, Meghan Markle and their two children moved to Britain after six years abroad in a private citizen capacity this week, and, as non-working members of the Royal Family, won’t be present at state events. He is instead likely to mark the second Sunday of November in private, avoiding the “logistical and security headache” making a public appearance would cause.
A source told the i Paper: “Would he like to attend the Cenotaph? Would he like to pay his respects in the proper way that people do on Remembrance Sunday and on Armistice Day? Of course he would. He served his country and has the deepest gratitude and respect for those who made the ultimate sacrifice.”
The duke and duchess aren’t expected to attend the commemorations in November (Image: Getty)
But they added that the Remembrance Day service is “very much what we would call a constitutional event rather than a family occasion”.
The source said Harry has similarly made peace with not being invited to Trooping the Colour, the annual celebration of the King’s official birthday in June.
Harry, Meghan, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet flew into the country on a private plane from California on Wednesday, landing at Birmingham Airport.
The family is said to be settling in the UK for an “extended period” of time, with the Cotswolds being suggested as the most likely destination for their new home.
Archie, seven, and five-year-old Lilibet have been enrolled in British schools, ready to start in September.
The Sussexes have yet to speak publicly about their dramatic U-turn, six years after they quit the monarchy and relocated to the US.
Their relationship with their UK-based relatives has come under immense strain in the intervening years, fuelled by criticisms levelled at the Firm by Meghan and Harry from platforms including the duke’s autobiography and a Netflix series.
King Charles, who only found out about the duke and duchess’s plans three days before they became public, is said to be happy to spend more time with them but remains adamant they will not be working royals.
Prince William, from whom Harry is thought to remain estranged, was holidaying with the King at Balmoral when the couple returned to Britain, and has not yet reacted publicly to the news.
