The Duke of Sussex has issued a heartfelt call to remember not only those who have fallen in conflict but also the living veterans, warning how easily they can be forgotten "once the uniform comes off".
In a passionate essay released ahead of Remembrance Day, Prince Harry expressed profound pride in his military service and his deep affection for the "things that make us British".
The former soldier, who completed two frontline tours in Afghanistan, penned the 647-word piece titled "The Bond, The Banter, The Bravery: What it means to be British – By Prince Harry".
Despite currently residing in the United States, the duke affirmed that "Britain is, and always will be, the country I proudly served and fought for".
He urged the public to engage with veterans, suggesting they "knock on veterans’ doors and join them for a cuppa…or a pint" to hear their stories and "remind them their service still matters".
Harry paid tribute to the "stoic spirit" of self-deprecation and humour he identifies in "us Brits", fondly recalling how the "banter of the mess, the clubhouse, the pub, the stands" are the very "things that make us British", adding, "I love it."
He drew parallels between this spirit and the "resilience" and "fierce determination" he observed in Ukrainians during a visit to the war-torn nation in September.
For the duke, Remembrance is "not simply a minute’s silence" but rather "a call to collective responsibility".
He opened his reflective essay by stating: "Every November the world, for a moment, grows quieter. We pause, together, to remember. Remembrance has never been about glorifying war. It’s about recognising its cost: the lives changed forever and the lessons paid for, through unimaginable sacrifice. It’s also about honouring those who, knowing that cost, still choose to serve."
Reflecting on his own service, Harry spoke of the "privilege of serving alongside men and women from all four corners of the UK; from Antrim to Anglesey, Lancashire to London, Wrexham to the East Riding, Belfast to Bedfordshire and beyond."
He witnessed "courage and compassion in the harshest conditions imaginable," but also recognised "how easy it can be, once the uniform comes off, for those who gave everything, to feel forgotten." He stressed that "our duty to them does not end when their service does," adding: "They safeguarded our freedom. We must safeguard their future. That way we all benefit."
The duke also voiced concern that "peace for those lucky enough to know it, feels more fragile than ever" this Remembrance Sunday.
He highlighted his annual admiration for the children of fallen military heroes supported by the Norfolk-based Scotty’s Little Soldiers charity, and praised the courage and camaraderie evident at his Invictus Games competition.
He concluded his essay by asserting: "Remembrance isn’t confined to one weekend in November. It’s a lifelong commitment to empathy, gratitude, and action; to be kinder, more united, and braver in protecting what those before us fought to preserve. So, as we bow our heads this weekend, let us remember not only the fallen, but the living – those who still carry the weight of war in body and mind, and the families who bear its memory in their hearts."
The release of the duke’s message coincided with his two-day visit to Toronto, where he is meeting Canadian veterans and military charities to mark the ‘Remembrancetide’ period.
The timing was reportedly chosen to avoid overshadowing his brother, the Prince of Wales, who was on a major tour to Brazil and hosting the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony.
It is understood Harry’s words were released on Wednesday to prevent drawing focus from Prince William’s significant speech at the Cop30 climate talks in the Amazon, as well as from key Remembrance events in the UK, including the Field of Remembrance, the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, and commemorations at the Cenotaph.
Harry reportedly intended his message to speak directly to the servicemen and women across the UK with whom he served. He is said to strongly believe that despite the conclusion of conflicts such as the Falklands, Northern Ireland, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and the subsequent reduction in operational tempo, he has not forgotten those who have hung up their uniforms, and neither should the wider British public.
In 2020, the year he stepped down as a senior working royal and relocated to the US with the Duchess of Sussex, Harry was reportedly saddened when his request to have a poppy wreath laid at the Cenotaph on his behalf was denied. Months later, his military patronages were removed by Queen Elizabeth II after his decision to pursue a life of personal and financial independence was made permanent.
He has consistently underscored the importance of his time in the armed forces, stating in 2020: "(My military) experience changed my life forever and for the better. It changed how I viewed sacrifice and service. I was born into a life of duty, but it was during my decade in the army that I committed to a life of service."
He added that it "made me who I am today." Harry established the Invictus Games competition for wounded, injured, and sick servicemen and women over a decade ago in 2014, with Birmingham recently winning the bid to host the Games in the UK in 2027.
This August, Harry also paid a poignant tribute to his grandfather, Prince Philip, by secretly leaving a personal letter and a wreath of red poppies at the Burma Star Memorial in Staffordshire on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.
