Prince Harry was noticeably absent from the Festival of Remembrance, an annual event that honours the fallen servicemen and women of the British Armed Forces.
According to a report by Express, the Duke of Sussex, who served in the Army for 10 years and founded the Invictus Games for wounded veterans, was not mentioned in the BBC coverage of the event, nor was he invited to join his father King Charles and brother Prince William at the Royal Albert Hall.
The snub comes amid reports of a rift between Harry and the rest of the royal family, following his decision to step down as a senior royal in 2020 and move to the US with his wife Meghan Markle and their two children. Harry has also been criticised for his public attacks on the monarchy, including his explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey in March and his upcoming memoir Spare, which is expected to reveal more details about his troubled relationship with his father and brother.
A royal source told the Sunday Times that Harry had turned down an invitation to attend King Charles’s 75th birthday celebration at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, which coincided with the Festival of Remembrance. The source said that Harry had chosen to mourn with his uncles Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, and Edward’s wife Sophie, at Balmoral instead of joining the rest of the family at Birkhall, Charles’s residence on the estate.
However, a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan denied the claim, saying that there had been no contact regarding an invitation to the King’s birthday. The spokesperson said: “It is disappointing the Sunday Times has misreported this story.”
Harry’s absence at the Festival of Remembrance was also noticeable in the BBC’s coverage of the event, which featured a segment on the Invictus Games, the international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women that Harry launched in 2014. The segment included interviews with some of the participants and footage of previous games, but did not mention Harry’s name or show his image at all.
Some viewers took to social media to express their disappointment and confusion over the omission of Harry from the Invictus Games segment. One user wrote: “How can you talk about the Invictus Games without mentioning Prince Harry? He is the founder and patron of the games. He deserves some recognition and respect for his work.” Another user commented: “I find it very sad that Prince Harry was not mentioned or shown in the Invictus Games part of the Festival of Remembrance. He has done so much for the veterans and the games. He should not be erased from history.”
The BBC has not commented on why Harry was not mentioned or shown in the Invictus Games segment. However, some royal experts have suggested that the decision may have been made to avoid controversy or backlash from some viewers who may have been offended by Harry’s presence. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told Express.co.uk: “The BBC may have felt that mentioning Harry, who is so closely associated with the games, might have been divisive. There is no doubt that his popularity has plummeted since he and Meghan decided to leave the royal family and settle in California.”.
Harry and Meghan are expected to return to the UK next year for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, which will mark her 70th year on the throne. It is not clear whether they will attend any other royal events or reunite with the rest of the family during their visit.
